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Okay, there are only two types of teams in the NBA, the "haves", and the "have nots". And if your team uses a lotto pick to draft Kelly Olynyk instead of Rudy Gobert you just told the rest of the universe that you want to be a "have not" team. Or at least that's what hindsight is telling me right now. (And yes, I love the stupidity of calling the franchise with the most rings a "have not" team.) After the first combine drill for the bigs on Day 1 I had come to the conclusion that at the #14 pick if either Kelly or Rudy were available you had to take a chance on them. I distinctly remember telling My_Lo this as we split to cover more ground. The Celtics did the the more polished, face-up bigman in Olynyk at the #13 spot. The Jazz had previously moved up to pick Trey Burke at #9, a long-shot move that was near universally applauded. The team then traded back into the 1st to snag Rudy Gobert.
That validated the opinion I had of him predraft. He was not just good enough to take a 2nd round flier on, but to actually put your money when your mouth is, and go out and get him in the 1st.
Gobert has been a force to be reckoned with in his second season, after a confident showing in the FIBA World Cup. Kelly, my Canadian guy, has not.
Of course, there's more to a game than just two centers. But for me this game is such a small piece of the big picture puzzle, one where Gobert will be a huge piece for future success.
Tonight I expect Gobert to dominate the Leprechauns.
Starters:
- PG: Avery Bradley vs. Dante Exum
- SG: Evan Turner vs. Joe Ingles
- SF: Jae Crowder vs. Gordon Hayward
- PF: Brandon Bass vs. Enes Kanter
- C: Jared Sullinger vs. Derrick Favors
Bench:
- Tyler Zeller vs. Rudy Gobert
- Marcus Smart vs. Trey Burke
- Gerald Wallace / Tayshaun Prince vs. Trevor Booker
- Marcus Thornton vs. Elijah Millsap
Injuries:
- Alec Burks (UTA) -- out
- Rodney Hood (UTA) -- out
- Kelly Olynyk (BOS) -- out
The Jazz should own the paint, the Celtics are going to be good on defense -- particularly at the point guard spot. Gordon Hayward will be the best player on the floor. And well, yeah, Rudy Gobert should feast on the Leprechauns.