5 biggest 2016 NBA contract extension mistakes
By Greg Patuto
4. Rudy Gobert
If you ask anyone outside the state of Utah who Rudy Gobert is, they may have trouble answering. Well to give some background, he was selected 27th overall in the 2013 draft by the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets then sent him to the Jazz that very night. This is his fourth season and he is averaging 7.2 PPG and 8.6 RPG.
Where he made his money is his defense. He is averaging just about 2 blocks per game over his career. But still, he is not a dominant force down low. Is a decent defensive big man with limited offensive talent worth four years, $100 million? The Jazz seem to think so.
The Jazz have not been relevant since 2009-10 where they won 53 games and lost in the conference semifinals. They have made the playoffs once since then but were swept in the first round. Last season they finished ninth in the Western Conference with a record of 40-42.
Utah has an okay set of players with Gordon Hayward, Dante Exum and the addition of Joe Johnson and George Hill. The Jazz have never won an NBA title and it seems like they are doing all they can do bring one to their hungry fans. But throwing a ton of money at Rudy Gobert doesn’t seem like a championship move.