Rudy Gobert is one of the best defensive big men in the league, and it is clear that he is the driving force behind the Utah Jazz defense. The Utah Jazz has found a lot of success in the regular season, but they have not been able to get past the 2nd round of the playoffs during Gobert’s tenure.
Due to the Utah Jazz’s lack of playoff success, many people have pointed the blame at Rudy Gobert. Gobert was notably criticized after the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Utah Jazz using a small-ball lineup, and many people pointed to Gobert’s inability to punish them offensively as the cause of the Jazz losing the series. Players have also taken shots at Rudy Gobert’s defense before, with Anthony Edwards notably claiming that Gobert puts “no fear” into him as a rim protector.
When speaking to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Gobert laughed off his criticism, claiming that the people who were celebrating his failures are “very quiet when good things happen”. He also expressed hope that the Utah Jazz would be able to win a championship soon.
“I take criticism all the time, every day,” Gobert said. “It’s been like that for my whole career, people celebrating my failures, and very quiet when good things happen. So, I’m just trying to focus on enjoying the game and keep getting better. And hopefully, we’re going to win one soon.”
Rudy Gobert is a phenomenal help defender, and even if he does have some weaknesses, he’s a fantastic player. Gobert clearly desires to “keep getting better” and any improvement from him will benefit the Utah Jazz.
Currently, the Utah Jazz are in the 3rd seed in the Western Conference, and they have won 8 of their last 10 games. They once again look like a top-tier team in the league, and we’ll see if they are able to get past their playoff woes this season.
