Rudy Gobert’s sprained ankle is of little concern to Rudy Gobert.
The third-year shot-swallower left with a sprained ankle during the fourth quarter of the Utah Jazz’s 118-114 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday and did not return. The idea that he could miss time, any time at all, is absolutely terrifying, because the Jazz need him more than they need anyone else, even Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors.
It’s not just that Gobert is their defensive anchor. It’s that he’s swiftly developing into the lifeblood of their entire quest for prosperity in the Western Conference. Though the Jazz are only seven games into the season, they post the equivalent of the league’s second-best net rating when Gobert is on the floor, according to NBA.com. When he’s on the bench, they play like a fringe playoff team at best.
Lucky for them, Gobert’s injury doesn’t seem serious…according to Gobert himself (via Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune):
Rudy Gobert tells me he's fine. Of course, he's not a doctor. But if it were up to him, he wants to play on Thursday in Miami
— Tony Jones (@Tjonessltrib) November 11, 2015
This keeps in theme with what Gobert told Jazz play-by-play announcer Craig Bolerjack, per Aaron Falk, also of the Salt Lake Tribune:
Gobert to @BuckleUpBoler: "I think I should be good to go, if not tomorrow, in a few days…" (1/2)
— Aaron Falk (@tribjazz) November 11, 2015
Gobert: "Nothing broken, nothing bad, so just a basketball sprained ankle." (2/2)
— Aaron Falk (@tribjazz) November 11, 2015
Jazz fans, you may now breathe freely, or close to it. Rudy Gobert was even seen running on his ankle as the game sped toward conclusion. That he didn’t return may have actually been an over-protective-parent measure of precaution. And that’s fine. Gobert is the future of the Jazz. They have a lot of nice pieces, many of them legitimate building blocks, but Gobert is the soon-to-be perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate with above-average playmaking chops, a solid touch around the rim, even on the move within pick-and-rolls, and developing post game.
Any playoff push the Jazz intend to make begins and ends with him. Thus, any time he misses could go a long way in bringing those postseason hopes to an abrupt end. Foot and ankle injuries are always tricky when it comes to big men, and at 7’1″, Rudy Gobert is huge. Even if no complications arise, there’s a chance he’s unavailable in the short term, if only to protect the purity of Utah’s long-term outlook.
Under the circumstances, that’s not ideal. Exum is already out, and while the West looks uncharacteristically weak, it’s still the West. It could explode on a night’s notice.
Still, on the bright side, based off Rudy Gobert’s own diagnosis, things could have been much, much, much, much worse.
