2014 FIBA World Cup: 10 major takeaways
By Bryce Olin
4. Possible Rudy Gobert breakout season on the horizon?
As a key factor in France’s third-place finish, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has proven he’s capable of playing defense and rebounding at a high level in crucial situations. Against Spain in the quarterfinals, Gobert played out of his mind and helped hold Marc Gasol to 1-of-7 shooting in the game and grabbed 13 rebounds while keeping the Gasol bros. and Serge Ibaka off the offensive boards.
Gobert also came up huge for France on several possessions by swatting the ball off the rim, known as “goaltending” in the NBA. If only knocking the ball off the rim was legal in the NBA, Gobert could be a real force to be reckoned with on a nightly basis. Grantland’s Zach Lowe examined Gobert and his potential with the Jazz at length recently. For a guy that has what Lowe calls “zero offensive game,” Gobert echoed Lowe’s evaluation in the World Cup, averaging only 4.1 points per game. So far in his NBA career, Gobert’s numbers have also been less than impressive.
| Season | G | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | 45 | 9.6 | 0.8 | 1.6 | .486 | .492 | 3.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 2.3 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 9/15/2014.
There’s something Gobert has or had against Spain that makes me think he has a chance in the NBA. I can’t tell what it is yet necessarily, but he competed against three of the best big men in the NBA and helped France win the game. It’s all a matter of putting together the complete package, but the potential is definitely there. I’ll be slightly surprised if Gobert puts it together within the next season, but maybe his performance against Spain and some of the best big men in the world will give him the extra confidence to have a solid impact next season with the Jazz.