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Jazz

On this week's episode of "NBA Top Shot Weekly," Alex Kennedy and Oliver Maroney are joined by NBA All-Star Rudy Gobert!

NBA Top Shot Weekly: Rudy Gobert

Go ahead, pick out the meme if you want.
Matter of fact, I'll do it for you. Please hold.&nbsp;
[elevator music]
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We've got our funnies out of the way, I hope. Let's dig into the heart of this.
After a Jazz practice, Utah center Rudy Gobert was asked about some things. His health and pending return was at the top of the list.&nbsp;
Gobert was also asked about the state of the Jazz as title contenders. He <a href="https://twitter.com/tribjazz/status/1482075141374758915?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was pretty honest</a>, though still hopeful that the Jazz could turn things around. The major hold-up in his eyes: a lack of "winning habits" being established, particularly on the defensive end.
His stance, per Eric Walden of <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/sports/jazz/2022/01/14/rudys-return-utah-jazz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Salt Lake Tribune</a>:
<blockquote>
"When I watch some of these other teams, like the Suns or the Warriors, those guys are a step ahead of us in terms of winning habits. They take every game personally,&rdquo; Gobert said. &ldquo;Devin Booker is playing his a-- off defensively. I&rsquo;ve been watching him compared to two years ago. Guys like that, they buy in, and you can tell they take pride in playing defense and stopping their man, doing whatever they can defensively to stop the other team and be part of a winning culture. I just think we&rsquo;re not there yet, but I think we&rsquo;re gonna get there."
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First part of that seems pretty nondescript, right? The Suns and Warriors &mdash; two teams ahead in the standings, and two teams that have represented the Western Conference in six of the last seven Finals &mdash; seem to have a handle of the little things than the Jazz do.
Then it gets fun.
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That Devin Booker mention? The subsequent "you can tell they take pride in playing defense" line? I find it hard to believe that wasn't intentional phrasing from Gobert. At bare minimum, it reads as a shot at Donovan Mitchell, Gobert's teammate and Booker's peer among the premier shooting guard group. And if it is, it's well deserved.
Mitchell, as dynamic as he is offensively (psst,<a href="https://www.one37pm.com/strength/sports/donovan-mitchell-jazz-ceiling"> read this</a>), leaves quite a bit to be desired defensively. He remains poor as a screen navigator, either taking I-simply-cannot-recover wide angles or being wiped out by picks entirely. Dialed-in Mitchell is fine &mdash; he's finding comfort with a spin move when ducking under picks, for example &mdash; but we don't consistently see that on a per-possession basis. Combine that with struggles to stay attached to ball-handlers, and you get film that looks like this.
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But this gripe of Gobert's goes beyond Mitchell. 
At this point, Mike Conley and Royce O'Neale (bless his heart) might be the only defenders on the roster that Gobert can trust to stay solid on-ball, give multiple efforts, and communicate a switch in a timely manner. That simply isn't good enough if the Jazz want to reach their ceiling.&nbsp;
The last five games without Gobert have highlighted his value. The Jazz have the second worst defense (120.3 defensive rating) in the league during this stretch. Opponents are generating nearly 1.14 points per possession on trips featuring a ball screen, the worst mark in the NBA by a decent margin per Second Spectrum.
All drop-defenders aren't created equal &mdash; Hassan Whiteside is no Gobert. But Gobert's absence further exposed just how much he was cleaning up, and how poorly the Jazz are doing the little things. It's been especially clear when they've had to go small, with Whiteside on the bench or with him simply not being available (take a look at the Cleveland game).
Without Gobert (and Whiteside), the Jazz have leaned further into switching. The gambit makes sense &mdash; flatten out the offense, keep the action in front, stay solid &mdash; but good lord have they done a poor job of it. To put a number on it: opponents are scoring over 1.19 points per possession on trips featuring a Jazz switch, per Second Spectrum.
There's only so much the Jazz can do from a personnel perspective. But they aren't even giving themselves a chance on most possessions.
If you're going to switch, there has to be some semblance of physicality. Against deadly pull-up shooters, you have to push up when switching so they don't have a gap to waltz into. Against dynamic rollers or post threats, it helps to get under them and cut off their roll &mdash; or you can go the other way entirely, getting on top early and fronting to take away an easy entry pass.
Lo and behold, the Jazz are doing [checks notes] neither of those things. Let's look at one glaring example from that Cavs game, shall we?
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Brandon Goodwin isn't a high level pull-up shooter, but this is a pretty clear demonstration of the lack of detail the Jazz are switching with. Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic switch this screen between Goodwin and Kevin Love. Mitchell isn't a good match-up against Love, of course, but look at the angle Love is able to take as he sets the screen.
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Mitchell doesn't get under him at all; Love has the inside track the entire way through. This is why, despite switching out to Goodwin, Bogdanovic sinks back to Love. He wants to cut off the flashing-red-sign passing window that Love has. But because of that, Goodwin is essentially given a practice jumper. You simply can't give an NBA guard that kind of space.
So, talk about Gobert The Personality all you want. Criticize the lack of offensive impact he's had against smaller units if that tickles your fancy. But he's 100% on the money about the Jazz defensively.
Their recent outings in the postseason have had more to do with their defense than their offense. And as convenient as it's been to put those shortcomings on Gobert, he's far from the primary cause.

Nekias Duncan digs into Rudy Gobert's recent comments about Utah's "winning habits."

Rudy Gobert has a point about Utah's defense

- Rudy Gobert asked the Jazz to fulfill the supermax contract he is eligible for (35% of cap)
- Jazz responded with an offer of the normal max (28% of cap)
- Gobert's camp turned that offer down
- Two sides have 5 days to agree on an extension
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/Larsen_ESPN/status/1339353703740895232" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Porter Larsen of ESPN 700</a>
ANALYSIS: Well this is certainly interesting. Considering that Donovan Mitchell just cashed in on his rookie max extension with the Jazz, it looks like Gobert wants to get his pay day as well. The question is, of course, whether or not Utah feels that the big man would be worth such a raise. After all, it's not easy to pay somebody all that money in a center position that has been fading into obsoletion.
There's no doubt that the Jazz aren't the same team without him, however, as you'd be hard-pressed to find someone with the defensive impact he has. It's certainly not an easy situation to navigate, and the clock is ticking on a possible extension. We'll see who gives in.

Gobert could be looking for his pay day in Utah.

Rudy Gobert turning down max offer for desired supermax?

Jazz center Rudy Gobert and Pacers center Myles Turner were both ejected from Thursday night's game in Salt Lake City, in which Indiana won 111-100. Gobert and Turner got tangled up near the basket after Gobert was denied at the rim and things got ugly quick, with the two big men taking shots at each other and other teammates getting involved.
In conclusion, Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, and Myles Turner were all ejected from the game and some suspensions could be handed out in the coming days as well. 
Here is the video of of what went down in Utah:
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Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles and Myles Turner all ejected after this scuffle. <a href="https://t.co/pEymQ4LLbM">pic.twitter.com/pEymQ4LLbM</a>
&mdash; Dana Greene (@dana_greene) <a href="https://twitter.com/dana_greene/status/1459012621919793191?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Rudy Gobert and Myles Turner were among multiple players ejected from Thursday night's matchup between the Jazz and Pacers.

Rudy Gobert, Myles Turner get into altercation; multiple players ejected

NEW YORK (AP) — Upon further review, Indiana’s Myles Turner is the NBA’s blocked-shot champion for this season.
The NBA said Tuesday that Turner will be recognized as the winner in that category, even though he did not play in the required 70% of games that are typically needed for someone to qualify as a statistical leader.
Turner averaged 3.4 blocks per game in 47 games. Utah’s Rudy Gobert averaged 2.7 blocks per game in 71 games.
By NBA rule, Turner would have needed to appear in 51 games to qualify for the award, so he fell four games short. But if Turner he had played in those four additional games to reach the minimum and didn’t even block a single shot, his average would have been 3.1 per game — still well ahead of Gobert.
The exception to that rule has been established for years. The NBA allows someone to be recognized as a stat champion if, at the end of the season, “the player would have led the league in the category had he played the required number of games with his current category total.”
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More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Myles Turner averaged 3.4 blocks per game in 47 games. Utah’s Rudy Gobert averaged 2.7 blocks per game in 71 games.

Block king: Myles Turner, not Rudy Gobert, wins season title

Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley and Derrick Favors are all reportedly out for Saturday's afternoon contest against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1383440511462084618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowksi/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;This leads to a pretty depleted matchup, as the Jazz will also be without Donovan Mitchell due to his ankle sprain. The Lakers, meanwhile, have LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond on the shelf. The Jazz played yesterday afternoon against the Indiana Pacers, and Wojnarowski reports these three absences are due to "injury recovery."

They join Donovan Mitchell as inactives for the Utah Jazz.

Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Derrick Favors out Saturday vs. Lakers

Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert both blasted the way the Jazz are officiated after losing to the Sixers in OT, saying the Jazz are treated differently as a small market team compared to more glamorous opponents.
"It's f---ing ridiculous." - Donovan Michell.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31000780/donovan-mitchell-rudy-gobert-blast-officiating-utah-jazz-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim Bontemps of ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS: Mitchell, who was ejected during the final minutes of Utah's second-straight loss, went on a lengthy rant during the post-game presser. Here is the full transcript:
"First off, you know, give the 76ers credit. They played a hard game. Joel [Embiid] did what he does, and at the end of the day, they're a good team. We competed. But it's tough. It's tough to go out there and see how we fight and compete, and to have a game like that taken from us.
"Now, I'm never ever one to blame a ref, to blame an official -- I can say I could have done more -- but this is getting out of hand. There have been games like this that we've won, there have been games like this that we've lost. But this whole refereeing stuff. ... We're nice, we don't complain, like, we don't get frustrated, we fight through things, and the fact that we continually get ... screwed, in a way, by this. You know?
"We won this game, in my personal opinion. You know? But like I said, I'm going to give them credit. They won. Whatever. Cool. But it's been a consistent thing, and the question is, 'Can we do it? Can we sustain it? Are we for real No. 1? And, yeah the hell we are. And it's getting f---ing ridiculous, that this is what is happening.
"We have a whole second half of the season to go and get ready for, and I'm sick of it, to be honest with you," Mitchell said. "We all are. This is something that just it eats me. It eats at me, man. Y'all know what it is. We all know what it is. But it's really getting out of hand. It's really, really, really getting out of hand. And the league needs to do something about this. I want to see the last two-minute report. I want to see it. But it's getting out of hand."
All-Star big man Rudy Gobert backed Mitchell's comments, saying: "Our guys are not able to get calls everybody else in the f---ing league gets. We know we are the Utah Jazz, and maybe some people don't want to see us go as far as we can go, but it's disappointing.
"Three times in a row, Mike Conley is going to the rim, and they're grabbing him right in front of the officials and there's no calls. And, on the other end, there are calls that are invisible that are being made.
"I think it's disrespectful, to be honest, to the game of basketball and to our team, and hopefully they're going to watch the game when they get home. ... Hopefully they feel ashamed when they watch the game."
The Jazz will head into the All-Star Break with the league's best record at 27-9.

Utah's Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert sounded off on officials following the team's OT loss to Philadelphia Wednesday night.

Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert criticize officiating following loss to 76ers

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert is the winner of the 2020-21 Defensive Player of the Year award, the league announced Wednesday night.
Gobert was the anchor of a top-three defensive unit that also lead the league in net rating and finished with the NBA's best record. He averaged a career-high in blocks (2.7) and defensive rebounds (10.1).
Here's the NBA's official press release:
Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has been named the 2020-21 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the NBA announced today.
This marks the third NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award for Gobert, who also earned the honor in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.&nbsp; The 7-1 French native is the fourth player to win the award at least three times, joining Dikembe Mutombo (four), Ben Wallace (four) and Dwight Howard (three).
Gobert received 84 first-place votes and earned 464 points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.&nbsp; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons finished in second place with 287 points (15 first-place votes).&nbsp; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, the 2016-17 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, finished in third place with 76 points.&nbsp; Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.
In his eighth NBA season, Gobert led the league in defensive rebounds per game (10.1), total defensive rebounds (720) and total blocked shots (190) and ranked second in blocked shots per game (2.70).&nbsp; He recorded six games with least 15 defensive rebounds and eight games with five or more blocks.&nbsp; Gobert grabbed a season-high 20 defensive rebounds against the Warriors on March 14 and blocked a career-high nine shots against the Chicago Bulls on March 22.
According to NBA Advanced Stats, Gobert ranked second in the NBA in defensive win shares, which measures a player&rsquo;s defensive impact on winning.&nbsp; He defended the most field goal attempts at the rim in the NBA (549) and held opponents to 50.1 percent shooting on those shots, the third-lowest mark among the 27 players who defended at least 300 shots at the rim this season.
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Behind Gobert, Utah finished third in the NBA in defensive rating (107.5) and second in opponents&rsquo; field goal percentage (44.7).&nbsp; The strong defense helped propel the Jazz to a league-leading 52-20 record and the top seed in the Western Conference for the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Selected as an NBA All-Star for the second time, Gobert averaged 14.3 points and 13.5 rebounds in 71 games this season.&nbsp; Gobert led the NBA in total rebounds (960) and ranked second in rebounds per game.&nbsp; He also shot an NBA-high 67.5 percent from the field, leading the league in that category for the second time in the last three seasons.
Gobert, the 27th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, has career averages of 12.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.24 blocks in 545 games, all with the Jazz.&nbsp; He was voted to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in each of the previous four seasons.
The voting results for the 2020-21 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award are below:
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Rudy Gobert is the winner of the 2020-21 Defensive Player of the Year award.

Rudy Gobert wins 2020-21 Defensive Player of the Year award

On "NBA Top Shot Weekly," Rudy Gobert discussed Utah's title hopes, the Jazz's chemistry, the future of NBA Top Shot and much more.

Rudy Gobert Q&A: Jazz's title hopes, NBA Top Shot, more

Rudy Gobert has agreed to a five-year, $205 million contract extension with the Utah Jazz.
Source: First reported by <a href="https://twitter.com/GrantAfseth/status/1340480491548520449" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grant Afseth via Twitter</a>, confirmed by <a href="https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1340673313992044546" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tim MacMahon/ESPN</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Gobert now holds the richest deal ever given to an NBA center, with a player option after the fifth year. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year was eligible for a supermax contract worth $228 million, but Gobert and his agent actually decided not to pursue the deal, instead giving the Jazz more flexibility to build a winning roster.
"For me, my goal is to always win a championship," said Gobert to ESPN. "When we spoke with my agent before the negotiations started, I decided that I didn't want to ask for the supermax. We didn't want to start the negotiations by asking for the supermax. For me, it was important to show to the organization and show to the team that it wasn't about money. It was about continuing to build what we've been building and also give this team and give myself the stability and the peace of mind to not have to deal with the negotiations later.
"I want to win, and I feel like leaving this money on the table for the team just to be able to have better talent around me and Donovan was really important. I want to win, and I believe in this group and I believe in this organization, and I was willing to leave that money on the table for them."
Gobert averaged 15.1 points, 13.5 rebounds and two blocks per game with the Jazz last season. The extension exemplifies Utah's commitment to a defense-first culture around their star center.&nbsp;
"It means that they believe in me," Gobert told ESPN. "They believe in what we've been building over the years with this whole organization, with coach [Quin Snyder] and all the guys. For me, it's an incredible blessing. It's a very motivating feeling to know that we all share the same vision and we all share this goal for this state and for this franchise."&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Gobert's new deal is the richest ever for an NBA big man.

Rudy Gobert agrees to five-year, $205 million extension with Jazz

-Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has entered health and safety protocols and is listed out vs. Brooklyn on Friday.
-Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has entered health and safety protocols, team says.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Holiday was one of the few Bucks players that had not entered health/safety protocols yet but will now likely miss the next couple games for Milwaukee unless he can test out early. And Gobert, who missed Wednesday's game vs. Denver due to a non-COVID illness, ultimately did test positive on Thursday, becoming the second member of the Jazz to enter protocols, joining Joe Ingles.

Jrue Holiday and Rudy Gobert have entered health/safety protocols.

Bucks' Jrue Holiday and Jazz center Rudy Gobert enter health/safety protocols

Utah Jazz All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were eached fined by the league for their conduct during Utah's loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday night, the NBA announced on Friday.&nbsp;
"Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell has been fined $25,000 for public criticism of the officiating and his conduct while exiting the playing court and Jazz center Rudy Gobert has been fined $20,000 for public criticism of the officiating, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.
"Mitchell and Gobert made their comments to the media following Utah&rsquo;s 131-123 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on March 3 at Wells Fargo Center.
"Mitchell, who received two technical fouls and was ejected with 30.8 seconds remaining, recklessly knocked over a water cooler while leaving the court."
The Jazz loss against Philadelphia closed out a terrific first half of the season, holding the top record in the Western Conference at 27-9.

Mitchell was fined $25,000, while Gobert's fine was $20,000

Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert fined by NBA for public criticism of referees

The NBA announced today that Rudy Gobert and Jimmy Butler have earned Western and Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for the opening week of the 2021-22 regular season. Gobert led his team to a 3-1 record while Butler went 4-0.
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Gobert averaged 16.3 points, 15.5 rebounds and shot 77.8% from the field in a dominant week. He logged 23 points and 16 rebounds in a win over the Nuggets and also helped the Jazz beat the Rockets and Bucks. Gobert leads the league with 103 rebounds.
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Rudy Gobert (23 points, 16 rebounds tonight) has reached 15+ points and 15+ rebounds in each of his first 3 games this season. The only other players to accomplish this since 2000 are Kevin Garnett (2004-05) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2018-19). <a href="https://t.co/jaeoZXpo3L">pic.twitter.com/jaeoZXpo3L</a>
&mdash; NBA History (@NBAHistory) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAHistory/status/1453222365995937796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Butler, meanwhile, averaged 28.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.3 assist per game for the revamped Heat. He logged 32 points, ten rebounds, and five assists to help Miami blow out the Hornets on Friday, and is leading the league in win shares at 1.7.
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Jimmy Butler drains the pull-up and the <a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MiamiHEAT</a> are on an 11-0 run on ESPN 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/1QXLR7tZjv">pic.twitter.com/1QXLR7tZjv</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1454235640640458755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Here were the other nominees for Player of the Week in each conference.
West:&nbsp; Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook (LAL), Luka Dončić (DAL), Donovan Mitchell (UTA).&nbsp;&nbsp;
East: Bam Adebayo (MIA), RJ Barrett (NYK), DeMar DeRozan (CHI), Kevin Durant (BKN), Darius Garland (CLE), Montrezl Harrell (WAS).

The NBA announced today that Rudy Gobert and Jimmy Butler have earned Western and Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for the opening week of the 2021-22 regular season.

Jimmy Butler, Rudy Gobert earn Player of the Week honors for Oct. 25-31

Kelsea and Katie discuss Rudy Gobert's payday, Giannis' supermax and the James Harden saga. They also preview the 2020-21 season.

Dishes and Dimes: Giannis' supermax, Gobert's payday, season preview,

Joe Ingles, Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley responded to Shaquille O'Neal's comment about Donovan Mitchell on "Inside the NBA."

Jazz respond to Shaq: 'Their ratings must be so bad they have to talk absolute nonsense'

Several contenders for the 2021 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award have fallen off due to injury, and this has become a two-man race. At the moment, Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert sits as the sizable favorite over the Philadelphia 76ers&rsquo; Ben Simmons.
Rudy Gobert (-560)
Gobert is the anchor of a top-three defensive unit that also leads the league in net rating. He is a two-time winner of the award and is arguably having his best season on that end of the floor, averaging a career-high in blocks and 10 defensive rebounds per game.&nbsp;
A 7-foot-1 center with a 7-9 wingspan, the &ldquo;Stifle Tower&rdquo; is a menace at altering shots at the rim. This season, Utah's defended field goal percentage inside is 61.1%, good for fifth in the NBA.&nbsp;
With the Jazz in a tight race for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and an elite defense, it makes sense for Gobert to be the odds-on favorite and have a firm grip on the market with about 10 games to go.&nbsp;
Don&rsquo;t overlook the fact that Gobert has stayed healthy, playing in 67 of the Jazz&rsquo;s 68 games this season. The team has put together a 45-17 record behind a strong defense that Gobert anchors. He is the worthy favorite for his third award.&nbsp;
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Ben Simmons (+250)
Simmons is the only other player with odds lower than 20-1. While he is a versatile defender who can guard all positions on the floor, Simmons will likely come up short this season.&nbsp;
Yes, Philadelphia is slightly better than Utah in terms of defensive rating; the 76ers are second in the league in that metric, but Philadelphia also bolsters a who&rsquo;s who of defensive stalwarts.&nbsp;
Simmons may check the team&rsquo;s best player, but he is also flanked by stud defender Matisse Thybulle and Danny Green on the wing. Not to mention, Joel Embiid is an elite rim protector and should be in the mix for an All-Defensive Second-Team spot himself.
On his own, Simmons is a great defender. But is this his best season on that end of the floor? Simmons is seventh in the league in steals with 1.6 per game, but his advanced metrics show that his numbers are down compared to last season. Both his defensive box plus-minus and defensive win shares are a step below the 2019-20 season.&nbsp;
The former No. 1 pick is capable of guarding the opponent&rsquo;s best ball handler, catch-and-shoot threat, or bulky big, but this year belongs to Gobert. Simmons will come up just short.&nbsp;
The race for DPOY may be lacking some value this late in the season, but don&rsquo;t worry because you can still bet on the Sixers on a night-to-night basis to win some cash. The Sixers have been one of the <a href="https://betql.co/nba/sharp-picks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best picks against the spread</a> throughout this season, and they are looking to end the season strong. Check out <a href="https://betql.co/nba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BetQL</a> to find out which way their model is picking for every game to start building a bankroll for the playoffs.&nbsp;

At the moment, Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert sits as the sizable favorite over the Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons.

Who should be the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year?

Nikola Jokic left Tuesday night's game vs. the Jazz after colliding knees with Jazz center, Rudy Gobert. It appeared that Jokic was in significant pain when he went down, but the team later came out and said it was a 'right knee contusion' and he was 'questionable' to return to the game. The reigning MVP was ultimately held out of the game for precautionary reasons, and according to ESPN, Denver head coach Mike Malone said Jokic told him his knee felt a little weak so he made the decision to keep him out of the game, especially considering it was the second night of a back-to-back.
Ohm Youngmisuk went on to say that Mike Malone is unsure if Jokic will undergo further testing on his knee at the moment, but at the very least it seems that Jokic has escaped a major injury, which is great news for a team that is already without starting point guard Jamal Murray (ACL).
Expect updates to follow this week on Jokic's status going forward. 
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/NotoriousOHM/status/1453223229162758145" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter)</a>

The reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic, sustained a 'right knee contusion' on Tuesday night after colliding knees with Jazz center, Rudy Gobert.

Nikola Jokic leaves game with knee 'contusion', status uncertain going forward

Shaq admitted that he's jealous of the lucrative contracts today's NBA players are getting, and explained his criticism of Rudy Gobert.

Shaquille O'Neal admits he's 'jealous' of today's lucrative NBA salaries

Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points, Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 11 rebounds and the Utah Jazz extended their winning streak to seven games with a 123-98 victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.
Hassan Whiteside added 18 points and 14 rebounds off the bench as the Jazz completed a perfect four-game East Coast trip.
&ldquo;I think we're a better team now than when we left,&rdquo; Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. &ldquo;That's hopefully what competition does for you.&rdquo;
Mitchell shot 4 for 9 from long distance, while Gobert and Whiteside combined to go 17 of 19 from the floor as Utah took control in the third quarter after trailing by a point at halftime.
The Jazz entered Saturday three games back of Western Conference leaders Phoenix and Golden State.
&ldquo;I think tonight, the way we played on both ends and the mindset that we had was really like a contender mindset,&rdquo; Gobert said. &ldquo;Every quarter we got better.&rdquo;
Bradley Beal scored 21 points for the Wizards, who lost for the fourth time in five games and for the ninth time in 14 after a fast start to the season. Daniel Gafford added 14 points and 11 rebounds for Washington.
Washington led 51-50 at the break after a first half that included six ties and 11 lead changes. The Wizards were within three before the Jazz closed the third quarter on a 13-4 run.
&ldquo;It just kind of fell apart from there,&rdquo; Gafford said. &ldquo;It was something that we could've easily fixed, but at the time there was a lot of frustration out there. Guys weren't hitting shots. It happens.&rdquo;
Mitchell hit a driving layup, fed Whiteside for an alley-oop, then dunked during the stretch that gave Utah its first double-digit lead, 77-67.
Mike Conley put the Jazz up by double figures for good on a possession later, before feeding Gobert for a layup that made it 81-69 at the end of the quarter.
&lsquo;A REALITY FOR A WHILE&rsquo;
With Kuzma presumably dealing with a potential exposure to COVID-19, Gobert weighed in on dealing with the continued threat of the pandemic.
&ldquo;We see what's going on and we keep moving, we keep respecting the protocols, and at the same time, we keep doing what we do as a team," Gobert said. &ldquo;It's unfortunate when someone tests positive, but it's going to be a reality for a while, so we've got to just live with it."
Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020, a turning point in the early pandemic which set in motion widespread cancellations in the sports world and beyond.
EASTBOUND AND UP
Utah's perfect four-game trip is its longest continuous stretch on the road without defeat since it also won all four games of a trip East from March 2-7, 2020.
Before the trip, the Jazz were 1-2 visiting Eastern Conference foes.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Converted nine alley-oop dunks ... Their halftime deficit was their first during the win streak. ... Gobert&rsquo;s double-double was his 20th of the season, while Whiteside had his fourth. Whiteside&rsquo;s 14 rebounds were a season-high.
Wizards: Gafford&rsquo;s double-double was his fourth of the season and the first since he had three in a row from Nov. 27-Dec. 1. ... F Kyle Kuzma was placed into the NBA&rsquo;s health and safety protocols before the game.
UP NEXT
Jazz: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.
Wizards: Visit Denver on Monday.

Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points, Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 11 rebounds and the Jazz extended their winning streak to seven.

Jazz beat Wizards 123-98, extend winning streak to 7 games

NBA discourse has shifted with the growth of social media. Sports shows are all about debates, and the louder you are, the more persuasive your argument seems. The only way to win is by going viral on Twitter and the only losers are those of us in search of nuance.&nbsp;&nbsp;
With virality being the goal, sports takes have become akin to hit TikTok songs. Substance is lost in favor of something attention-grabbing, memorable and not too complicated (otherwise it&rsquo;s no longer memeable on Instagram).
This form of media taints the discourse as we&rsquo;re left with polarizing, hyperbolic takes devoid of any nuance. Intricate analysis is hard to come by in favor of snappy nicknames like Pandemic P or obviously outrageous takes like Max Kellerman of ESPN saying that with the fate of the universe on the line, he&rsquo;d pick Andre Iguodala (a career-33% three-point shooter!) to take the shot over the likes of Stephen Curry, the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Hot takes like these are especially prevalent in the NBA Playoffs.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re an audience that&rsquo;s been fed a narrative (meant to draw in views) that the NBA Playoffs are where amazing happens, where we weed out the greats from the very-goods and not-good-enoughs. And we don&rsquo;t take kindly to losing.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Though entertaining, this is a flawed way to analyze the playoffs. The playoffs are about matchups, with a dash of luck for shooting variance. Teams that fare well are versatile, making them difficult to scheme for and affording them the ability to go toe-to-toe with just about any squad.
When a team lacks versatility, what should be a criticism on the roster becomes a critique of the superstar, especially ones who have just won regular-season awards (like Nikola Jokic).
Jokic, the NBA&rsquo;s 2021 Most Valuable Player, was more than deserving of his regular-season award after averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game. His team losing was not an indictment on his performance, but a result of the injuries the Nuggets sustained, losing playmaking and shot creation, leaving them with little offensive firepower to combat the Phoenix Suns.&nbsp;
The attacks on Jokic are about how he was destroyed defensively. And I&rsquo;m not going to try and defend Jokic&rsquo;s defense; instead, I&rsquo;ll drop back, and let you fire away. Lord knows, that&rsquo;s what he did.&nbsp;
My argument is that we knew that Jokic in drop coverage against the best pick-and-roll guard in the league was going to be a struggle for the Nuggets defensively, so why fault him for it now?&nbsp;
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There are arguments to be made that Nuggets head coach Michael Malone should have adjusted, or that Jokic should not have continuously fallen so deep in the drop, affording Chris Paul the luxury of taking every mid-range shot available or kicking it out for three. And though those arguments are valid, and rich debate can be had, the internet so often widdles it down to catchy and easily repeatable slogans like, &ldquo;Is This Your MVP?&rdquo; or, &ldquo;#NotMyMVP&rdquo;, discrediting how spectacular Jokic was offensively throughout the series and all year long.&nbsp;
In our (very online) modern era, everyone has space to voice their opinions and only the hottest takes survive. Our attention spans have gotten shorter and our memories rival that of goldfish. We only hold space for the most polarizing and outrageous takes&hellip; or slander. Slander lives forever.&nbsp;
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Nba fans don&rsquo;t like anything about the nba and it&rsquo;s weird
&mdash; Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/1376187247461023746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2021</a></blockquote>

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The internet can be a vicious place, with many NBA players saying they have to log off throughout the playoffs.&nbsp;
Log on to Twitter and you&rsquo;d think most people tuned in to berate and defame the league&rsquo;s biggest stars, and not because they actually wanted to enjoy the show.&nbsp;
Jokic seems unperturbed by it. However, Rudy Gobert has been going back and forth with trolls online as people question the validity of his 2021 Defensive Player of the Year award.&nbsp;
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3 of em and they all real, more to come also. <a href="https://t.co/HEDrRR6sQn">https://t.co/HEDrRR6sQn</a>
&mdash; Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) <a href="https://twitter.com/rudygobert27/status/1406774669479333888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Gobert struggled against the Los Angeles Clippers, not because he&rsquo;s a fraud undeserving of his award, but because the Clippers posed a unique matchup problem for him when they go small with Marcus Morris Sr. and Nicolas Batum at the 5.&nbsp;
The playoffs are about matchups and beating the team in front of you. It&rsquo;s about solving your opponent before they can solve you. The Clippers&rsquo; small-ball, five-out lineup proved to be unsolvable for a team that&rsquo;s built their entire defense on the back of the best rim protector in the league, a defense that routinely forces teams into the shots the Clippers will gladly take.
Kristaps Porzingis, nicknamed the Unicorn for his unique skill set as a big man, was tasked with facing a team whose own unique skill set perfectly exploits said big man. Once again, we&rsquo;re talking about the small-ball Clippers.&nbsp;
Completely unfazed by his size, they attacked Porzingis on defense and often ignored him on offense, as he struggled to effectively post-up smaller guys. They rendered Porzingis invisible on defense and he was relegated to the corners on offense (for spacing purposes), which is a far cry from the role your second option and highest-paid player should have.&nbsp;&nbsp;
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And while it&rsquo;s fair to criticize players like Porzingis for underperforming, it&rsquo;s important to not lose the context with which these series happen. The playoffs do not exist in a vacuum; 82 games are played beforehand in which we learn each team&rsquo;s (and each player&rsquo;s) strengths and weaknesses. It&rsquo;s unfair to everyone involved to pretend as though the regular season does not matter.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Whether it&rsquo;s praise like ESPN&rsquo;s Stephen A. Smith calling Devin Booker &ldquo;Kobe Bryant&rdquo; on First Take because of 11 playoff games against teams missing Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray and Kawhi Leonard or criticism levied at Gobert for his failure to contain Terance Mann, reactionary takes will always take precedence over long-form analysis.&nbsp;
I didn&rsquo;t write this to be the &ldquo;old-man-yells-at-cloud&rdquo; meme. I take part in slandering players as much as anyone, but there needs to be a clear demarcation where we understand what&rsquo;s a joke and what&rsquo;s a measured take. And when talking heads blur the lines, it muddies the waters for everyone.
Takes then become facts, soundbites become referendums and suddenly, like a watered-down TikTok dance, you&rsquo;re left with a take devoid of the substance the originator intended. 
Welcome to the modern NBA.
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NIKOLA JOKIC DID TIKTOK <a href="https://t.co/4i3UwOl0vj">pic.twitter.com/4i3UwOl0vj</a>
&mdash; Ali (@hanafire_) <a href="https://twitter.com/hanafire_/status/1229307363733016576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2020</a></blockquote>

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The criticism of Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic and Kristaps Porzingis is being driven by hyperbolic takes devoid of nuance, writes Imman Adan.

Rudy