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According to the Utah Jazz, the team has decided to send center Rudy Gobert and fellow rookie Ian Clark, a guard, to the NBA-DL. The Jazz affiliate with the Developmental league this season is the Bakersfield Jam. You can read the full report at the NBA.com site for the Jazz here.
The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has assigned rookie guard Ian Clark and rookie center Rudy Gobert to its NBA Development League (D-League) affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam. Both are expected to be in uniform for the Jam’s game Sunday at the Reno Bighorns in Reno, Nev. A 6-3, 173-pound guard out of Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., Clark was named 2013 NBA Summer League Championship Game Most Valuable Player and was signed by the Jazz as an undrafted rookie free agent on July 29. The 22-year-old has appeared in eight games as a reserve for the Jazz, averaging 2.8 points in 8.8 minutes.
Gobert, a 7-1, 245-pound center, was a 2013 first-round draft pick (27th overall) whose rights the Jazz acquired in a draft-night trade with Denver that sent the Nuggets the rights to the 46th overall pick and cash considerations. The 21-year-old native of Saint Quentin, France, has made 17 appearances for the Jazz in a reserve role, averaging 2.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.82 blocks in 10.7 minutes.
The announcement also states that these two players become the seventh and eight different Jazzmen to go down to the DL. (Can you name the previous six? I think I can -- C.J. Miles, Morris Almond, Kyrylo Fesenko, Kosta Koufos, aaannd . . . uh, Kevin Murphy . . . and, uh, I can't remember the other dude. 50 points to whomever does though!) What we do know is that if you go down there you don't really spend a lot of time there. I don't see this changing until the Jazz pony up for their own team (like the marquee franchises do). The Jazz share Bakersfield with the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, and Toronto Raptors.
All that said, I just said YESTERDAY that Gobert should go to the DL, and there he is going. So, yeah, I guess I'm only wrong up until the point where the team does what I said they should do. (This is the same illogic I've learned from being in a serious relationship with the same person for nearly longer than some of my readers have been alive.) In that post I said he should play or go to the DL, at least down there he'll play.
Don't worry Jazz fans, you will be able to watch all of their DL games on youtube for free here: https://www.youtube.com/nbadleague
I wish these two guys all the best and I hope they are able to make something of it. In this development and discovery year we've learned that when we are fully healthy our coaching staff really, really loves vets. (Why bother playing these guys against NBA talent when, instead, we can play guys who aren't even going to be on the team next year? It's not like we're seriously thinking they'll ever be NBA players. Duh!) [That was sarcasm.]
For the season Rudy Gobert (NBA Draft 2013, Round 1, pick #27) has played 182 minutes at the NBA level, and ranks #24 out of all rookies in minutes so far this season. Clark (Undrafted NBA Draft 2013), has played in just 70, which ranks him at #42. So far 59 rookies have played this season.
Good luck and bon courage, hope you get to play and play well.