2014 Draft

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Here's a number for you, LST: 40.6%.

That's Rim FG% Allowed by Rudy Gobert last year. If you were wondering, yes, it was the best in the entire NBA. That's better than Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol, Hassan Whiteside, Andrew Bogut, Timofey Mozgov, Tyson Chandler, etc.

He's the best rim defender in basketball and a legitimate anchor for a top defense in basketball.

As a starter last year, he averaged 10.6 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 1.7 APG, 2.8 BPG and 1.0 SPG in 34.2 MPG. He also shot 59.2% from the field and 62.6% from the line (not good).

Rudy Gobert started 37 games last year. The Utah Jazz won 22 of them, and 19 of the last 29.

He's a one-man defensive juggernaut that has changed his team completely and you're not acknowledging it.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

There's no question that Gobert's defensive stats last year were very impressive. Based on what I saw in FIBA though, I don't get it. I wonder if centers are going to look at what Pau Gasol did to him when he scored 40 on him a month ago, and go right at him. Gasol is not really known as a physical player, but he basically overpowered Gobert all game. I'll be interested to see what more physical centers like his brother Marc and DMC do to him this year. So far in pre-season his offensive and defensive stats have been unimpressive. Maybe he's hurt, maybe the league is figuring him out, or maybe he will return to the excellence of the last half of 2015. We'll have to see, I guess.

What I do know for sure about Gobert, though, is that he is a world class whiner and very difficult to cheer for. He complained throughout the entire game while Gasol was lighting him up, but I couldn't ever figure out what he was so unhappy about. He just wasn't as strong as Gasol. And then he continued to whine on twitter so badly that Ricky Rubio called him out for having "no class". Rubio! You have to really be a jerk to get Ricky to say something negative publicly.

Anyway, we'll have to see how the two pairs pan out this year. I'm still happy with the Bazz/Gorgui combo.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

There's no question that Gobert's defensive stats last year were very impressive. Based on what I saw in FIBA though, I don't get it. I wonder if centers are going to look at what Pau Gasol did to him when he scored 40 on him a month ago, and go right at him. Gasol is not really known as a physical player, but he basically overpowered Gobert all game. I'll be interested to see what more physical centers like his brother Marc and DMC do to him this year. So far in pre-season his offensive and defensive stats have been unimpressive. Maybe he's hurt, maybe the league is figuring him out, or maybe he will return to the excellence of the last half of 2015. We'll have to see, I guess.

What I do know for sure about Gobert, though, is that he is a world class whiner and very difficult to cheer for. He complained throughout the entire game while Gasol was lighting him up, but I couldn't ever figure out what he was so unhappy about. He just wasn't as strong as Gasol. And then he continued to whine on twitter so badly that Ricky Rubio called him out for having "no class". Rubio! You have to really be a jerk to get Ricky to say something negative publicly.

Anyway, we'll have to see how the two pairs pan out this year. I'm still happy with the Bazz/Gorgui combo.

Pau is a Hall of Fame player and one of the most skilled offensive bigs of all-time. There are maybe 3-4 C's in the entire league that have the skills to dominate in the post. There are far more guards and wings that can get to the rim at will and proceed to be shut down by Rudy. That's why you see far more DJ's and Chandler's in the league than Jefferson's and DMC's. Post defense is so overrated on this board. Holding opposing teams to 40% at the rim is so much more valuable than being able to stop the handful of good post up bigs in the league. You're using 1 international game against a HOF big and a few pre-season games to make your point versus over half a season's worth of supporting evidence from last year. On top of all that, Dieng struggles both in post defense and general rim protection (one of the worst in the league statistically) yet you prefer him and the 10/8 he provides on offense. That doesn't make sense. Gobert is a significantly better defender and averaged 8/9. That's a 2 ppg difference which is easily made up by the 15+ FG% made difference at the rim between the two.

[KiwiMatt]

This is a tough one!

Gobert is already the best player out of the bunch and has the biggest upside so I'd lean towards him and CJ McCollum (although I think McCollum won't ever live up to expectations).

Muhammad and Dieng was still a great draft for us. Dieng is probably pretty close to his ceiling - he's a borderline starter who should average 10pt / 8rpg / 2bpg for the next 5 years. Muhammad I believe will become a very good scorer in this league. He creates mismatches - too quick for bigger defenders and too strong for smaller defenders. He's not going to offer much else, but will be a great scoring punch off the bench for us for years to come.

If we are talking hindsight then I wish we had taken Greek Freek and Gobert. Man the defensive potential of a team based around Wiggins, Antetokounmpo and Gobert is insane.

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Having an injured Bazz and um, less than dominant Dieng led us to get Towns. With Gobert, we would have won a few more games and ended up with Emmanual Mudiay :thumb: