(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rudy Gobert (16) high-five's his team mates during team introduction before the France vs. Australia basketball game, in Olympic Basketball action in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, August 5, 2016.
When the Jazz reopened their remodeled team store inside Vivint Smart Home Arena earlier this month, they also unveiled life-size mannequin of 7-foot-1 center Rudy Gobert. The crowd that gathered to catch the first glimpse of it surprised the big man.
“I didn’t think there were going to be so many people,” he said.
But there they were, dozens and dozens of Jazz fans gazing in his direction. Gobert better get used to it, too.
All eyes are on him now.
The 25-year-old Frenchman has unquestionably become the face of the franchise in the wake of All-Star forward Gordon Hayward’s departure from Salt Lake City, and Gobert’s broad shoulders now carry the expectations of an entire fan base.
“I think he thought he was ready as a rookie,” Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey said of Gobert in July, shortly after Hayward had announced his plans to sign with the Celtics. “He’s certainly ready.”
By their metrics of choice, Jazz officials rated Gobert as the best center in the NBA last season, and the ninth-best player overall. He averaged 14 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per contest. Advanced stat lovers drooled over Gobert, who led the league in defensive win shares and was top-10 in offensive win shares.
But how far the Jazz can go may hinge on how Gobert can still improve.
“I’ve had a lot of discussions with Rudy about how he can continue to develop,” coach Quin Snyder said. “The progress that Rudy’s made the last couple of years — it’s hard to improve at the same rate. But I think it would be a mistake to say, ‘Hey, this is Rudy.’”
In other words: Gobert and his 9-foot-9 standing reach has yet to reach his ceiling.
“For him, he won’t be satisfied,” Snyder said. “I think it’s a question of how we direct his hunger and where he gets challenged to become a better player.”
As they look to replace some of Hayward’s offensive production, the Jazz will try to get Gobert more involved as a scorer this season. He has already showed his value as a screener and a rim-roller.
“You can throw the ball up in the air and he can make you look good,” new Jazz point guard Ricky Rubio said.
But Snyder expects to see Gobert running the floor more this season as the Jazz try to score more in transition and — maybe, just maybe — stepping out for the occasional jump shot.
“I’m just trying to get better and add a few more weapons,” Gobert said. “But the main thing is to keep doing what I do good.”
Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell already knows what that means.
“When he blocks my shots, he lets me hear about it,” the youngster said. “Last year, he was, in my opinion, the Defensive Player of the Year. Not getting something in life that you feel you worked at, it definitely adds a chip to your shoulder. Being right next to him, I see how hard he works everyday. If your leader has that chip, it spreads throughout the locker room.”
Gobert spent his offseason preparing for this opportunity.
“He knows his responsibility on the team,” said point guard Raul Neto, who traveled with Gobert to France, Brazil and around the U.S. during the summer. “Everybody knows it. He’s really competitive. He was thinking about this season every day. He was talking about this season every day. He’s happy in the position he is right now, being the leader of this team. He knows the responsibility.”
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