Would You Miss Rudy Gobert If He Were Traded?
Jun 21, 2022, 10:52 AM
Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz dunks during a game against the Washington Wizards at Vivint Smart Home Arena on February 28, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz offseason has already been one of drastic change with Quin Snyder stepping down and now there are trade rumors regarding Rudy Gobert.
The most prominent team involved is reportedly the Atlanta Hawks which could include some combination of Clint Capela, John Collins, Kevin Huerter, and the No. 16 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft in exchange for the defensive specialist.
With just over a week until the NBA Draft, the @ATLHawks remain tied to reports revolving around Rudy Gobert.
What do you think of this rumored package @utahjazz fans?#TakeNote https://t.co/ie2vhJIYhv
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 15, 2022
It seems clear that the Jazz are planning on keeping Donovan Mitchell – unless a major offer is sent their way – while listening to deals for Gobert.
Other teams of note that have been linked to Gobert are the Chicago Bulls and the Toronto Raptors who are the betting favorite to land the big Frenchman.
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With all this noise of Gobert being linked to multiple teams and the Jazz listening, it does show that Danny Ainge and the Jazz higher-ups want to build around Mitchell and his offensive game.
Would Jazz Fans Care If The Team Traded Rudy Gobert?
“I start to picture Rudy in another jersey, and I started to picture him maybe even facing up against us Jazz at some point,” Kirry said. “And my thought was, ‘I don’t know if I would actually miss him.’ I like Rudy and I’m a Rudy defender. The reality is that it would be difficult to face Rudy Gobert.”
“I don’t know if I’m an insane person for saying I don’t know if I would miss Rudy Gobert if I saw him in another jersey,” he said. “I know what the feelings were when you see some guys who left here, I didn’t miss Gordon Hayward when he left.”
It would be difficult for the Jazz, or any team, to match up against Gobert. He does so many things well and makes life difficult for opposing teams. There are very few opponents in the league that can expose Gobert or make the Jazz look like they are a step behind with a scheme that takes the center away from his dominant place on the court.
What would be your one word reaction if Rudy Gobert were to be traded? pic.twitter.com/1j2Mn3KEKm
— Unrivaled w/Alex Kirry & Scott Mitchell (@KSLunrivaled) June 14, 2022
The production is there for Gobert as he is now a multi-year All-Star and is averaging well over a double-double and two blocks per game. Yet, there are still some questions about Gobert and his place on the team.
“The reality is this is a guy who averages 15 and 15. That’s what you get out of them,” Kirry said. “He is an insane defender under the hoop and three defensive player of the year awards is nothing to sneeze at.”
“But am I over it too as a fan? Because I think the league has kind of gotten over Rudy Gobert winning the defensive player of the year and the impact doesn’t feel like a defensive player of the year impact when you get exposed and I think Rudy takes too much of the blame when it comes to being exposed on that perimeter defense.”
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