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On Wednesday night, Rudy Gobert will play against DeAndre Jordan, which for the Utah Jazz center should be a little like looking into a mirror.

You see, both do some of the same things on the basketball court. They will block your shot with ferocity. They will pluck seemingly every rebound out of the air defensively, and keep possessions alive on the offensive end. They will serve as a deterrent for opposing guards wishing to drive into the paint for buckets. They will ram home the occasional dunk, and maybe even let out a primal scream on the way down from the rim.

When the Los Angeles Clippers take on the Jazz the night before Thanksgiving at the Staples Center, Gobert and Jordan will be centers of attention, literally and figuratively. They are rim protectors, two of the best in the NBA, and arguably the most valuable players on teams that feature star attractions like Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors.

"We're in a league right now where the guards are very aggressive and their are a lot of good wings," Gobert said. "So having a rim protector is important. It's important for someone to be able to guard the rim because there are so many good players in this league who can get to the rim off the dribble."

How important is the overall art of rim protection? NBA fans saw this play out during free agency. Jordan almost left the Clippers to go play for the Dallas Mavericks, even giving Dallas owner Mark Cuban an oral agreement.

When Jordan changed his mind, the Clippers literally held their big man hostage inside his own house — sealing off outsiders — until the moment he was allowed by the NBA to physically sign his new contract. Without Jordan, the Clippers were considered a middling playoff team, even with Paul and Griffin. With Jordan, they are considered a threat to win the Western Conference.

Around the NBA, you can see the correlation: It's tough to be a team with championship aspirations without someone anchoring your defense. For decades, the San Antonio Spurs have had Tim Duncan. The Miami Heat — at the height of their title runs — relied on Chris Bosh. The Oklahoma City Thunder have Serge Ibaka. Everyone considers the Golden State Warriors the new era of basketball, small ball if you will. But Andrew Bogut is one of the best defensive centers in the league, and Golden State's 2015 NBA championship doesn't happen without his contributions.

"Having a good rim protector is huge, because there are so many guys in the league who can get into the paint and finish," OKC star Kevin Durant said. "Guys who can protect the paint keeps opponents away from the rim, and we've had one of those guys in Serge for as long as I've been here, and he makes things so much easier on us. That being said, you can't rely on them all the time. You have to move your feet and try to keep guys in front of you."

The Jazz and the Clippers have built their respective defenses around Gobert and Jordan. Much of what the Jazz do, from pick-and-roll coverages to shading opponents to the middle, are geared to have Gobert and Derrick Favors meeting ball-handlers at the rim.

This is partly why Gobert and Jordan have gaudy statistics. Just starting his third season, Gobert currently ranks fifth in the NBA with 10.5 rebounds per night. A prolific shot-blocker, Gobert is third in the league at 2.7 per game.

And as good as Gobert has been, Jordan may be better. He's second in the league at 13 rebounds a night and second in blocks at 2.85. With Gobert, Utah is one of the top defenses in the league. With Gobert, the Jazz were good enough defensively to build a nine-point fourth quarter lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers two weeks ago. Without Gobert — who sprained an ankle in that fourth quarter — the Cavs swiftly rallied for the win, and Utah lost its next two games, at the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic. It's no coincidence the Jazz were blown out by Oklahoma City on Monday night with Gobert having a pedestrian game and missing a large chunk with a tailbone contusion. He's been crucial to Utah's success to this point.

"I think it's something that's important and something that more and more teams are looking for," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "Around the league, more teams are willing to play lineups that make it a strength — look at what Miami and Golden State do. There are a number of guys out there. I wouldn't say it's a luxury, but it's something that you appreciate."

Twitter: @tjonessltrib —

5 standout NBA rim protectors

1. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons, 6-foot-11

Is averaging 18 points and 17 rebounds a night. Unreal so far.

2. DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers, 6-foot-11

Once upon a time, the Utah Jazz drafted Kosta Koufos over this guy.

3. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz, 7-foot-1

Spearheads the best defense in the league.

4. Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat, 7-foot-1

His talent and potential are both enormous.

5. Tyson Chandler, Phoenix Suns, 7-foot-1

The Mavericks' 2011 title run doesn't happen without him in the middle. —

Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers

P At Staples Center, Los Angeles

Tipoff • Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. MDT

TV • ROOT SPORTS

Radio • 1280 AM

Records • Utah 6-7; Los Angles 6-7

About the Jazz • Rudy Gobert missed parts of Utah's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with a tailbone contusion. He said he was ready to play Wednesday. … The Jazz have lost two consecutive games, falling behind big in both defeats. Utah rallied against the Dallas Mavericks, before losing. There was no such rally against OKC. … The Jazz average 18 assists per game as a team. That's 29th in the NBA. … Despite falling below .500, Utah still sits in eighth place in the Western Conference.

About the Clippers • As of Monday night, Los Angeles had lost three consecutive games, culminating in a defeat to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. … Because he shoots mostly layups and dunks, DeAndre Jordan leads the NBA with a .707 field goal percentage. … Former Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce now plays for the Clippers. He's their starting small forward. … Last week, Los Angeles had a sizable lead over the Golden State Warriors, but lost at the Staples Center.