Rudy Gobert wasn’t letting the Nuggets score on this play, Manimal or no Manimal
Rudy Gobert quickly established himself as one of the premiere rim-protectors in the NBA last season with the Utah Jazz. Gobert was the frontcourt anchor of the Jazz defense last season and a terror for opponents to try and score at the rim against. Even the always-powerful Kenneth Faried couldn’t get past the big Jazz center.
As the Jazz took on the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, the two teams were locked in a tight battle at the start of the second half, making every possession and score valuable. So when Faried drove down the lane to try and hammer one home, Gobert was having none of that:
That’s a powerful block on the part of Gobert. Faried is pretty well known for attacking the rim in a ferocious manner and the Jazz center just stopped him dead in his tracks with that block.
This is kind of what you have to expect from Gobert as the center of the Utah defense. The lengthy Frenchman averaged 2.3 blocks in just 26.3 minutes per game last season and, through the first four games for the Jazz leading up to Thursday night, has averaged a monstrous 3.8 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game. His ability to not only get his arms up and in the way, but to also have the timing and strength to just turn opponents coming at the rim away truly makes him a weapon that many teams are going to have a problem dealing with this season and beyond.