Donovan Mitchell may be the explosive new face of the Utah Jazz, and his scoring and creation will be absolutely essential for them, both over a long regular season and as they try to make a deep playoff run. However, Rudy Gobert’s defensive presence in the middle is the backbone of the Jazz and the thing that really raises their ceiling to a dark horse contender.
Over the past four seasons, his ability to alter shots around the basket has saved the Jazz roughly 299 points compared to an average center. That number doesn’t even take into account all the shots he has prevented simply through intimidation and discouraging opponents to even venture into the lane.
With another year of experience for Mitchell, the Jazz have the potential to improve at the offensive end of the floor. But being an elite defense is what gives them a chance to be the top team in the Western Conference.