NBA Draft Combine Interview: Rudy Gobert

It is hard not to notice Rudy Gobert when he enters a room. Even among the Centers testing group at the combine he towered over everyone else. His arms could touch the ground. When he bodied up the ball handler and fully extended his arms, the ball handler saw a sight that resembled a French barricade the likes they had never seen.

Rudy looked like a boy that had just hit his growth spurt and the rest of the big men in his workout group were prepubescent boys. Ironically, it was Rudy who was the boy in this group. Coming in at the very young age of 19, he was the most baby faced prospect at this combine. Gobert looks to just be filling out his frame. The question with Rudy might be will he ever fill out a scout's dream of a center's body. He measure 7'2 in shoes with a 7'9 wingspan. His standing reach is 9'7'. Yes, that's correct. Only 5 inches short of the height of the rim. In addition he's athletic. He jumped so high the testing team at the combine had to put the vertical test on blocks just to make it possible to get his correct athletic measurements.

In many ways this whole endeavor is an uphill battle for Gobert. He has played most of his life in France. He's young. He's raw. That could never be more evident than at the combine in workouts against other big men. Defensively, he has the potential to be a monster. He has the potential to alter shots at an elite level someday with his height. He has the potential to be a great building block on an above average defensive team.

But recognize that word: Potential.

Potential is what gets a good GM fired.

Which is why they would be cautious of him after his workouts against the other centers of this draft class. Defensively he would struggle against other big men's spins and post game. But even against that his height served him well. He altered shots with his ungodly length and intimidating frame. Yes he may be a boy in a man's body but the kid has something that's impossible to teach: HEIGHT.

Offensively, he couldn't be more raw. He has trouble shooting it from beyond 8 feet. He looks uncomfortable in the post. He would dive to rim and try to create contact on almost every possession he took in the post position. The good thing is he creates contact. He would get to the line. There he would struggle again because the free throw line is beyond 8 ft from the rim. He needs work.

There will be a team that goes gaga over him. After all, look at him. He's giant. He's young. He could STILL be growing for all we know. Someone will take the chance on him. The allure of having a 7'2 big man with measure-ables that in the history of the combine have never been measured will tantalize some GM to select him all because of Rudy Gobert's best NBA talent: Potential.