The Jazz have been impressed with the production they’ve seen out of backup big man Ekpe Udoh, Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News writes. The 30-year-old returned to the NBA this offseason after spending the last two campaigns abroad.
“It’s great, when I’m on the bench, I’m able to relax,” Rudy Gobert, the man ahead of Udoh in the depth chart, said. “When you have someone who plays defense like he does, you know the team is in good hands. He makes us better as a team.”
Through five games this season, Udoh has blocked an impressive 2.4 shots per. Gobert, perhaps the league’s most vaunted defensive big man, has averaged just 2.2 despite playing nearly 20 more minutes per contest.
It’s not just the gaudy per-36 statline that has the Jazz organization impressed. Head coach Quin Snyder sees Udoh’s length and competitiveness as valued intangibles as well.
There’s more news out of Utah:
- Injured guard Dante Exum underwent surgery on his shoulder Tuesday. Per Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News, the 22-year-old’s return timeline remains indefinite.
- The Jazz don’t look much different than they did last season, Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer writes in a comprehensive account of life in Utah sans Gordon Hayward. The scribe notes that Rudy Gobert had always been their most valuable player anyway.
- The league has handed forward Joe Ingles a $15K fine for the groin shot on Steven Adams over the weekend, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
I had Utah in that 4-6 range in the West, pretty much at 5. Their defense and depth allows them to be competitive every night. They need to stay healthy for once though
I agree. I thought the loss of Hayward would be minimal on the court as other guys will step up. He wasn’t really the go to sniper in the fourth quarter anyway, that’s Joe Johnson.
Guys like Ingles and newly-acquired Rubio will help the Jazz keep pace with last year.
Getting Rubio with a 20+ pick is one of the biggest steals.
I am sure every basketball fan not in OKC would donate a couple of bucks to help Ingles play that fine. Adams is a dirty, dirty player.
I don’t necessarily think that Adams is dirty. As a big man myself, often we are more clumsy than intentionally past the point of being clean.
Yes, Adams runs the floor well and is fairly athletic for a large man, but those sneaky back screens are called on by the coach, and the big man is expected to rebound ferociously, and on every possession, and by almost any means possible.
You little guys are so nimble and quick and in control while still being fast. It’s tougher for us big guys rumbling along. .., and trying to change direction at full speed is sometimes tough.