Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has been absolutely superb this season. He’s already (probably) the best rim protector in the NBA. Beyond that, he believes that he — at age 24 — is the very best player at his position, he tells ESPN’s Tim MacMahon:
Gobert has a pretty good idea of how well he has been playing for the sizzling Jazz, who have won 11 of 13 games despite playing without point guard George Hill for most of that stretch. If you don’t believe me, just ask Gobert who he believes is the best center in the NBA.
“To be honest, right now, I think it’s me,” Gobert told ESPN, before following up in a fashion his coach would approve of. “But it’s a long season. I just try to take every game as a challenge. The hardest thing is to do it [for] the full season.”
If Gobert isn’t the best center right now, he’s at least in the conversation. Nicknamed “the Stifle Tower” as much for his defensive prowess as his French descent, Gobert has blocked more shots than any other player in the NBA this season. Defense isn’t all he brings, though.
Often the knock on Gobert is his lack of offensive skillset, especially compared to players like Marc Gasol and DeMarcus Cousins. Those that make this complaint are likely misconceiving a limited offensive arsenal to be equivalent to an ineffective one. And Gobert — who is shooting 69.4% from the floor this year — has been far from ineffective this season.
The big man is incredibly deadly in pick-and-roll situations and relentless on the offensive glass.
This season, Gobert is averaging 12.3 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game.
I’ll say it again: If Gobert isn’t the best center in the NBA right now, he’s close to it.
