Gobert’s Productive Season Joins Rare Company
Apr 12, 2019, 11:40 AM
tah Jazz forward Royce O'Neale (23) leaps into the air as the Jazz pull away from the Denver Nuggets late in the fourth quarter at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. (Steve Griffin, Deseret News)
(Steve Griffin, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has had a fantastic season for the Jazz. His productive year has only been done one other time, by Wilt Chamberlain in the 1966-67 season.
Gobert finished the regular season having averaged a league-best 65 percent field goal average, while scoring over 1,200 points and grabbing over 1,000 rebounds. Only other player in NBA history to accomplish that feat was Chamberlain.
In his sixth season, Gobert averaged a career-high 17.9 points and 14.5 rebounds. He scored 1,284 points and had 1,041 rebounds, 309 offensive and 732 defensive.
Rudy becomes the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to shoot at least 65% from the field for a full season while collecting 1,000 rebounds and scoring 1,200 points.
Elite company for the Jazz big man 👀#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/DRB5izDhCo
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 11, 2019
Known for his defense as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Gobert has made significant improvements offensively. His has basically improved his scoring average every season since he averaged just 8.6 points per game in 2013-14.
His nearly 67 percent shooting from the field is also a career-high, beating his previous best 62 percent last season.
Earlier this season, Gobert broke the NBA single season record for dunks with 270, beating Dwight Howard’s mark in the 2007-08 season. Gobert finished the regular season with 306 dunks, the only player in the league to reach 300.
The Jazz will face the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. on TNT.
