Another beef is brewing between Rudy Gobert and a Western counterpart.
After his team’s 121-115 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, the Utah Jazz center was asked to respond to Damian Lillard’s comments before the game calling Hassan Whiteside the best defensive center in the league. Gobert, the reigning back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year, responded simply by saying, “Tell his coach to put him in at the end of the game.”
Didn’t catch it at the time, but Rudy Gobert’s response last night to Damian Lillard claiming Hassan Whiteside is the best defensive center in the league was priceless: “Tell his coach to put him in at the end of the game.” pic.twitter.com/HIEreImRb1
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) December 27, 2019
Whiteside, who has an NBA-high 2.7 blocks per game this season, often closes games for Portland but was benched for the entire fourth quarter against the Jazz in favor of Skal Labissiere. Gobert, meanwhile, is a much more complete defender whose versatility allows him to be a no-brainer closer for Utah.
This latest barb comes just a few months after Gobert traded shots with another prominent Western Conference center as well.
