7-foot-2 center Rudy Gobert is arguably the most irreplaceable player on the Utah Jazz. Statistically, he’s the best rim protector in the league right now (opponents are shooting just 35.7 percent at the rim against him, the lowest mark amongst qualified players who have defended at least 5 shot attempts at the rim per game, per NBA.com), the gravitational pull he attracts from defenses with his frenzied dives to the rim give Derrick Favors room to operate around the elbows and for Gordon Hayward to attack, and his 7-foot-8.5 wingspan has proved incredibly impactful on both ends of the floor. But now the team is facing an extended absence from the Frenchman.
Gobert suffered a Grade II sprain of the MCL in his right knee at Jazz practice on Tuesday and is out indefinitely, the team announced.
MCL injuries often take multiple weeks to recover from, and the Jazz, who currently have an 8-8 record, will have a nearly-impossible time trying to replicate Gobert’s production.
The artist sometimes known as The Stifle Tower is averaging 9.2 points per game, 10.9 rebounds per game, and 2.6 blocks per game this season. Expect the team to a bestow a much-heavier two-way workload on Favors, a phenomenal interior defender and low-post scorer in his own respect, and to increase Hayward’s already-substantial offensive role even further. Trevor Booker will also presumably receive more minutes as could Trey Lyles, Joe Ingles, and Rodney Hood should Jazz head coach Quin Snyder be forced to go small.
