Injured, Rudy Gobert has been absent from the NBA courts for a few days. The Guadeloupean basketball player was hit in the left calf during the defeat against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday January 23. The French pivot of Utah Jazz, very rarely injured, will remain in the infirmary for some time.
“I had a very slight calf strain, it is not a serious injury but I hope to return, it is necessary to treat well“, confided Rudy Gobert to Overseas The 1st.
The Jazz will indeed take no risk with its triple best defender of the year. We do not know more about the duration of this caution. For the moment, nothing has been announced, but Rudy Gobert hopes to be back before the cut of the All-Star Game, which begins on February 18.
The least we can say is that the absence of “Gobzilla” weighs on the results of the franchise. As soon as the French pivot is absent, Utah coughs. Between his recent absence due to the Covid, and his persistent calf pain, the French Olympic vice-champion is chaining the forced rests, which greatly complicates things for Utah. With five defeats in a row, the Jazz is going through a very delicate period. But the Guadeloupean wants to be reassuring.
It’s true that when a team loses one of its major players, it’s necessarily hard, but it allows young players to have opportunities to play, sometimes the difficulty can help a team to progress on the long term.
Remain the best defender, despite the disappointment of the All-Star
Mid-season, the results are mixed for the Jazz, but for the one nicknamed “The Stifle Tower”, the objective remains the qualification in play-off and the title of champion. On a personal level, Rudy Gobert has been shining everywhere since the start of the season. Whether in attack, but especially in defense, the pivot fulfills his part of the contract, with efficiency. The 29-year-old former Cholet Basket player is shooting at more than 15 points per game, and is aiming for a 4ᵉ title of best defender in the league (title he won, in 2018, 2019 and 2021).
Last season, we had a good season. We finished first. This year, we are going through complicated passages with my injury and that of Donovan Mitchell, but in the end, we realize that finishing first in the conference does not guarantee a title. We really want to use this season to progress and reach the play-off with the best possible Jazz team.
Holder or replacement, that’s not the most important
And this season, the Guadeloupean, candidate for his own succession as DPOY (Defensive Player of the Year) may well stay on an excellent pace, personally, he still missed out on a starting spot in the All-Star Game. . Rudy Gobert was edged out by Andrew Wiggins in the Western Conference for the last starting spot.
Rudy Gobert with the strong finish in the paint! ????????pic.twitter.com/BKTFb3dLip
— Jazz Nation (@JazzNationCP) January 24, 2022
The French pivot was penalized by the vote of the fans and could not catch up with that of the media and the players. The total fan vote is 50%, compared to 25% for the media and 25% for the players.
Incumbent ! When I know that there are 50% of fan votes that count, I already know that my chances are not very high. I’m still happy for Andrew who is having a great season, he plays on both sides of the field. The Warriors are having a great season, they have a big Fan Base, a lot of supporters. Playing in a small market, I did not expect miracles.
The Guadeloupean paid for the popular vote, launched at Christmas and closed last week. With 767,505 votes received, the Jazz player has yet beaten his “record” in this area, but prefers to focus on the rest: “there is clearly a gap between the perception of the experts and that of the fans that is clear. Afterwards, it’s a question of visibility, being a starter or a substitute is not the most important thing. People can perceive me as they want, I’m moving forward, the important thing is to continue to progress, help my team win, and focus on what I’m doing off the pitch.“
If Utah is not the most popular franchise in the United States, the “Giant” Gobert is respected among his peers. With 52 votes received, the Guadeloupean finished fourth in the players’ vote, just behind Green (58) and the untouchables James (171) and Jokic (167).
Of course, he will certainly be there for his 3ᵉ consecutive All-Star Game via the choice of the coaches, who will select the replacements on February 3, but the selection will have a taste of unfinished business.
