3:16pm: The Jazz have issued an official update of their own, confirming that an MRI on Gobert’s right knee revealed a “tibia contusion.” The veteran center will be reevaluated in four weeks, according to the team.
3:11pm: Jazz center Rudy Gobert is expected to be sidelined for about four to six weeks with a bone bruise in his right knee, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical. TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link) reported the same timeline, citing a source.
Gobert suffered the injury on Friday against Miami and missed Saturday’s game against Brooklyn. The injury occurred on a play in which the big man collided with Heat guard Dion Waiters, and Gobert suggested after the game that he felt like it was a “dirty play” on Waiters’ part, as Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News details.
“He just dove right into my knee,” Gobert said.
Gobert, 25, had been his usual effective self early in the 2017/18 season, averaging 13.9 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and a league-high 2.5 BPG for the Jazz. In his absence, Derrick Favors, who recorded 24 points and 12 rebounds on Saturday, may have an opportunity for a larger role. Ekpe Udoh and Jonas Jerebko could also see more minutes, and rookie center Tony Bradley might even have a chance to see some playing time.
I think he is fine, and is only taking the time off to push his narrative. If you see the play, you see Waiters clearly lose his balance. Waiters was already playing on a bad ankle, so changing direction twice, and keeping his balance wasnt something he could have done there. Honestly, lost a lot of respect for Rudy Gobert. I’d still take him over Whiteside, but his mouth has been on a different level recently, and this goes along with that. Utah still has Favors and Udoh at the 5. They’ll need someone to step up at the 4, especially with Joe Johnson still out. Jerebko probably gets playing time
Are you kidding?? What a stupid thing to say. A player is going to miss 4-6 weeks to push his narrative?
All Gobert is guilty of is overreacting to his injury.
He won’t miss as much time as being reported. I’m not suggesting there isn’t something there. I’m just saying I think it’s being exxaggerated b/c if the narrative. I’ve never been one to go down routes like that, but the variables are iffy to me on this one, and I feel like teams are doing different things to get guys some rest during the regular season, with the rules that have been added
Clearly, you are clueless when it comes to the Jazz or Gobert. They might not be as good as they were a year ago, but they dang sure aren’t slackers.