Embiid piled up an impressive line, but Gobert’s team came away victorious. (Melissa Majchrzak via espn.com)
If a game-saving block was considered as exciting or valuable as a game-winning shot, Rudy Gobert’s 2019-20 season would go down as one of the greatest seasons of all time. However, just like his entire career, the All-NBA center’s special season has been overlooked.
It is no secret that many undervalue and overlook Gobert. Casual NBA fans are the biggest culprits. But sometimes even I catch myself second-guessing Gobert’s value. It’s easy to do. He’s a little awkward. He can’t handle the ball. He’s not an elite passer. He has no jumpshot. His stat-lines aren’t usually something that jumps off the page. Believe it or not, even on defense, there are times when Gobert looks a bit like Disney’s Bambi. For how much value Gobert actually brings to the game, for how hard he trains, and for how much he wants to win, it is unfortunate that so many fail to see Gobert for the great player he is.
Similarly, it is a tragic irony that one of Gobert’s most incredible season-long performances has faded behind the fog of drama and distraction brought about by 2020. Just a few spring months brought a pandemic, multiple earthquakes, forest fires, and full-blown riots. But drama and distractions weren’t exclusive to the world news. The media became somewhat of a traveling circus surrounding Gobert’s life off the court. Gobert’s playful carelessness touching microphones became the focal point of the NBA’s season suspension. His working relationship with fellow All-Star Donovan Mitchell quickly became, as the media saw it, “unsalvageable.” The NBA season itself was suspended on March 11 due to the pandemic and then was again suspended on August 26 due to a player-led “wildcat” strike over social justice issues. Even on the court, it quickly became clear that the Jazz defense, without the departed Derrick Favors around to back up Gobert, no longer sat upon its royal throne. At best, the Jazz defense was middle-of-the-road, finishing 13th in defensive rating which made it virtually impossible for Gobert to win his third straight Defensive Player of the Year award.
Particularly at the tail end of the season, even I, an avid, marginally obsessed Jazz fan, became a prisoner of the moment, losing sight of Gobert’s worth. After spending the last five years defending Rudy Gobert, I had just about given up by halftime of Game 7 in Utah’s first-round series against Denver. Of course, there’s plenty of blame to go around for that horrible first half performance. But in that moment of despair, I blamed Gobert. At the time that game felt like the tipping point for me. I saw his inability to affect the game and I couldn’t help but cave in. “Maybe my years of being a Gobert apologist were wasted, trying to prove a failing argument. Maybe Gobert isn’t that good,” I thought.
So, after the season ended and the emotions faded, I went back and took some inventory. I rewatched Gobert’s games over the past season, almost trying to prove the former Gobert-apologist in me wrong.
But I failed. Gobert was and is a complete monster. Game after game, all I could find were instances where Gobert saved the Jazz. Make no mistake, while the Jazz defense fell off quite a bit this year, Gobert remains one of the best players in the game. If anything, he improved on the defensive end this year. After the longest regular season in NBA history, the Jazz won 44 of 72 games. But I quickly learned that, without Gobert’s impact on defense, Utah would have lost more than a dozen of those wins. Time after time, in the final minutes of a close game, Gobert would get switched out to guard the opposing team’s best player, one-on-one. And without fail Gobert would come through with a huge stop.
Below is a short synopsis of every close game that the Jazz may have lost if not for Rudy Gobert.
10/23/19 – Jazz vs. Thunder. The NBA tip-off was anybody’s game and, at times, it looked certain that the Thunder were going to win. With 6:34 remaining in the game, the Jazz were down by two and the Thunder had possession. Over the next five minutes, on top of his normal deterring effect, Rudy Gobert made six individual stops as the primary defender. These plays made a crucial difference. On back-to-back-to-back plays, Gobert showed off his on-ball defensive development guarding the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dennis Schroder, and Chris Paul. Each possession ended in a miss. Putting a huge stamp on the win, Gobert single-handedly erased 13 points off the board. Jazz won 100-95.
10/28/19 – Jazz at Suns. In this strange game, the Suns really took it to the Jazz. But over the final four minutes, Gobert totally took over. With 4:26 left, the Jazz looked a little shell-shocked as they trailed by three and the Suns with possession. All in one play, Gobert timed his contest perfectly to block Kelly Oubre Jr., grabbed the rebound, and drew a foul. He then followed that up by drawing an offensive foul on Aron Baynes. The next time down, Gobert jumped in the passing lane stealing the ball from Ricky Rubio, and threw the ball ahead to Mitchell for a dunk, which tied the game. On the Suns’ very next possession, Gobert forced Devin Booker into a turnover, which led to a Bojan Bogdanovic three. Gobert then contested Jevon Carter, who missed. On the Suns last possession, Gobert forced Devin Booker to pass out to Oubre, who missed. Gobert’s defense was suffocating. Jazz won 96-95.
11/6/19 – Jazz vs. Sixers. In a close game, sometimes the only thing that matter is one play. In this game, the Sixers were essentially trailing the Jazz by two the entire fourth quarter. With a little over a minute left, Joel Embiid had the ball in the high post. While Embiid had a great night up until this point, Gobert gave a great defensive stand, moving his feet and deterring the Sixers’ star. Embiid pump-faked and tried to drive, but Gobert quickly cut it off. This forced Embiid into a goofy stepback which was perfectly contested by Gobert and which barely caught the front of the rim. Jazz won 106-104.
11/8/19 – Jazz vs. Bucks. In the first three months of the season, the Bucks only lost five games. One of those losses was to the Jazz, where Gobert completely neutralized the reigning MVP in the final minutes. Giannis, along with every one of his Buck teammates, simply could not find the paint. Of course, most of us will remember the Bojan Bogdanovic buzzer-beater, but just as crucial was the play before. With 2.3 seconds remaining, the score was tied 100-100, and the Bucks had the ball. The play was to have Brook Lopez set a screen to the outside for Khris Middleton, who would catch the ball in the corner for a three. But as the play developed, Gobert slipped past the screen and rose up to give a perfect contest of the shot, so perfect that Middleton dropped the ball in desperation. The play was ruled a travel, giving the Jazz just enough time for one final shot. Jazz won 103-100.
11/12/19 – Jazz vs. Nets. On November 12, the Jazz found themselves in yet another close game. Kyrie Irving was doing everything he could to score, but every time Gobert was there. With 3:34 left, Irving tried a layup. Gobert contested, Irving missed. The next time down Irving tried another layup but Gobert blocked the shot. Next, Gobert cut off Irving’s attempt to drive and then slid over to contest DeAndre Jordan, who missed. With 1:15 left, Irving tried Gobert at the rim again. Gobert contested, Irving missed. With 0:39 left, Irving drove again but tried a floater over Gobert. Gobert contested, Irving missed. To cap it all off, the Nets were two with just seconds left when Irving stepped back for a three-point dagger only to be met by a great Gobert close-out. Gobert contested, Irving missed. Jazz won 119-114.
11/22/19 – Jazz vs. Warriors. While the Jazz should have finished the depleted Warriors much earlier, the Warriors kept coming and the Jazz lead slowly faded through the fourth quarter. Fortunately, Gobert made enough stops on the defensive end to win the game. In the final minutes, Gobert altered six crucial shots, saving 12 points. A few plays in particular stand out. With 13 seconds remaining, and the Jazz only up by three, Alec Burks drove into the lane for a layup but was met by Gobert with a great contest, causing his shot to miss. Finally, with four seconds left, Gobert met Burks again at the rim, this time blocking his shot (initially called goaltending, later overruled by replay after Snyder’s challenge). Jazz won 113-109.
11/29/19 – Jazz at Grizzlies. Gobert’s imprint on this game might not have been noticed by the fans, but by the end of the game the Grizzlies looked allergic to the paint. A few of Gobert’s plays stand out. Late in the fourth, the Jazz were barely holding onto their four-point lead when Gobert gave a great contest on a Ja Morant layup, causing him to miss. On the next time down, Morant decided to avoid Gobert and pull up for three, where he missed again. At this point in the game, Gobert was clearly in Morant’s head. With just over two minutes remaining, Morant gave the paint one more look as he came downhill towards the basket but Gobert met him there again, this time cleanly blocking his shot. This play really deflated the Grizzlies. Gobert’s paint dominance was simply too much for them to handle. Jazz won 103-94.
12/13/19 – Jazz vs. Warriors. Yet again, the Jazz found themselves in a close game to the depleted Warriors. With just under five minutes left, the Jazz were down by one when D’Angelo Russell came off a screen and stepped into what looked like an open three. But Gobert somehow closed the space in light speed, just in time to block the shot. Less than a minute later, Gobert met Alec Burks at the rim causing him to miss the shot. Up until the five-minute mark, the Warriors had all the momentum. But these two defensive plays were the difference maker. Then, with 1:38 left, Gobert cut off Burks’ drive, forcing him into an out-of-bounds turnover. This play sealed the win. Jazz won 114-106.
12/17/19 – Jazz vs. Magic. With four minutes left, the Jazz were down by seven to the Magic. In order to climb back out of the whole, it was imperative that the Jazz defense hold up. Gobert’s play down the stretch made the difference. After closing out on Nikola Vucevic at the top of the key, Gobert slid over and gave a great contest over Evan Fournier’s three-point shot causing him to miss. The next time down, Gobert cut off Markelle Fultz’s drive, forcing him into a pullup which he missed. With 1:56 left, Gobert forced D.J. Augustin into a bad pass which led to a Bogdanovic layup. These were huge plays, but Gobert’s best plays were showcased in the final minute. With 52 seconds left, Fournier came off a Vucevic screen but Gobert was there to hedge so Fournier kicked it back to Vucevic for three. Somehow, Gobert was able to get back and contest Vucevic’s shot causing him to miss. Then with 25 seconds left, Gobert bit on Fournier’s pump fake but was still able to slide over to contest his three-pointer, resulting in a miss. Jazz won 109-102.
12/19/19 – Jazz at Hawks. Late in the game, the Jazz were down by six to the Hawks but came storming back after several key stops by Gobert. The Hawks’ offense ran through Trae Young all night. But each time they tried to get it into the paint, Gobert would be there to affect the shot. With 3:56 left and the game tied, Young stepped into an awkward floater trying to avoid getting blocked by Gobert, resulting in a miss. With 2:41 left, Young beat Royce O’Neale off the dribble but Gobert was there to cut off the drive so Young dished to a cutting Jabari Parker. Gobert flipped around and contested Parker’s layup and O’Neale flew in to block the shot. With 2:16 left, Young tried another floater over Gobert, but Gobert’s contest was again too much to handle. Finally, with 13 seconds left as De’Andre Hunter beat Bogdanovic off the dribble, Gobert came flying in from the corner to block the shot and seal the win. Jazz won 111-106.
12/21/19 – Jazz at Hornets. After the third quarter, the Jazz were down by two. Again, Gobert was spectacular in the final minutes of play. After the 6:44 mark, Gobert held the Hornets to just ten points. With five minutes left, Devonte Graham beat O’Neale off the dribble, but Gobert was there to meet him at the rim causing the miss. With 4:05 left, Gobert was switched out on Graham one-on-one, but Graham couldn’t shake him, so he dropped it off to a cutting Cody Martin who was also met by Gobert at the rim causing him to miss. The next time down, Gobert’s contest of Terry Rozier’s clearly altered the shot, which bricked off the rim. Next possession, Rozier hesitated causing Gobert to close out, then tried to beat Gobert off the dribble. But Gobert flipped around and got back to contest the layup, which missed. Finally, with a minute left, Gobert was again guarding Rozier one-on-one on the perimeter. Rozier gave a couple jabs and then stepped into a three which missed badly over Gobert’s contest. Jazz won 114-107.
12/26/19 – Jazz vs. Blazers. Some of Gobert’s greatest defensive highlights came this year against the Blazers. On top of the fact that Gobert was his usual self, affecting every Blazer shot attempt, two plays in the final minute stand out. With 25 seconds left, the Blazers were only down by three. Carmelo Anthony, guarded by Rudy Gobert, had the ball at the top of the key when he decided to take a three. But Gobert gave an incredible contest causing an airball. Then, with ten seconds left on a fast break, Damian Lillard blew past O’Neale looking for a reverse layup but was met by a mighty Gobert block. Jazz won 121-115.
1/2/20 – Jazz at Bulls. Gobert had a phenomenal presence in the final moments of yet another close game. With 4:18 left, Zach LaVine came in for a layup but was met by Gobert’s outstretched arms. LaVine’s shot missed, clearly altered by Gobert. With 2:56 left, Kris Dunn broke away from Bogdanovic from a good screen by Wendell Carter Jr., but Gobert quickly stepped up to contest Dunn’s floater, resulting in an airball. The best two plays came in the final seconds, again. With 25 seconds left and the Jazz only leading by two, LaVine blew by O’Neale but was met by an outstretched, totally vertical Gobert causing LaVine’s shot to miss. With 10 seconds left, the Bulls inbounded to LaVine essentially in the same spot as his last shot, but this time Gobert was already in perfect position. LaVine tossed up a shot only to have it swatted away by Gobert. Still in play, the ball ended up in the hands of Coby White, who then drove but was cut off by Gobert so he dished it off to Carter Jr. who was also swallowed up by Gobert’s presence. Then with three seconds left, the Bulls tried to inbound to Carter Jr. but Gobert tipped the ball, resulting in a hurried shot from Lauri Markkanen which barely hit the rim. Jazz won 102-98.
1/6/20 – Jazz at Pelicans. In the 2019-20 season, games between the Pelicans and the Jazz were dramatic to say the least. In a game where everything seemed to go in for the Pelicans, every possession became a pivotal moment in the game. Fortunately, Gobert’s defense really picked up in the final three minutes with the Jazz only up two. With 2:45 remaining in the game, Brandon Ingram came quick off a Derrick Favors’ screen straight to the basket. But Gobert timely stepped up and altered the shot. Then with under a minute left, Gobert jumped out to help contest another Ingram jumpshot, resulting in a miss. Finally with four seconds left, Ingram took it the length of the court. First, Mitchell tried to cut him off but he took a bad angle which allowed Ingram to get to the basket. However, Gobert raced back to meet Ingram at the rim. While the replay shows some contact on the part of Gobert, Ingram’s potential game-tying shot misses as time expires. Jazz won 128-126.
1/25/20 – Jazz vs. Mavericks. Watching this game, it felt like the Jazz weren’t going to have enough to win, especially late in the fourth quarter. With 4:28 left, the Mavericks had the ball and were up by two. Kristaps Porzingis had the ball at the top and was guarded by Gobert. Porzingis first tried to drive but was cut off by Gobert’s quick feet, so he stepped back into a deep three. At the same time, Gobert quickly stepped up and gave a great contest, causing the shot to barely catch the rim. The best play of the night, however, came at the 30-second mark, with the Jazz up two. In my opinion, this was one of the best plays of Gobert’s career. On this play, Gobert was initially behind O’Neale to make sure Doncic didn’t get to the rim. As Doncic drove right, Gobert cut him off. Then, Doncic passed out to a seemingly wide open Delon Wright at the top of the key. But somehow, Gobert raced over to close out on the shot. Then, Wright smartly drove. At this point, Gobert looked beat. Wright was basically inside the paint, going full-speed to the rim and Gobert had his back to him and his momentum was going the opposite direction. But Gobert somehow flipped around, and raced behind Wright’s drive with just enough time to block the layup, saving the game. Jazz won 112-107.
2/7/20 – Jazz vs. Blazers. The Blazers gave the Jazz another close game and Gobert gave another great defensive performance. With a minute left, the game was tied and it actually looked like Lillard was ready to take over. Unfortunately for him, Gobert took over instead. Gobert impacted each remaining possession. The most pivotal possession came with 15 seconds left with the Jazz up by two. Lillard had already beat Joe Ingles off the dribble and was coming downhill towards the basket. Gobert was initially up high in order to hedge if Lillard pulled up from deep, but Gobert was able to get back following Lillard as he drove. Gobert then flew in at the last second, blocking Lillard’s layup with just 12 seconds remaining. Then on the last play, with just seconds left and the Blazers down three, Gobert jumped over to double Carmelo Anthony, who was looking to tie the game with a three. Gobert’s double was so effective that it forced Anthony to pass to Caleb Swanigan in the corner, who missed. Jazz won 117-114.
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