A 101-88 loss for the Utah Jazz in their first practice game against the Phoenix Suns wasn't all bad for the team. Head coach Quin Snyder is quite happy with the opportunity to experiment on different rotations especially with a top-heavy roster including Rudy Gobert.
“We can use everything going forward,” he said (per deseret.com). “Tony and Rudy, that’s a combination you can see, at the same time it’s a combination you may not see. It’s really going to be dictated for us by the game and the matchups. Our substitution patterns could vary depending on who we’re playing and what we’re trying to do.”
After a small line-up experiment in the first half, Snyder opted to pair two-time DPOY Rudy Gobert with fellow center Tony Bradley and formed a jumbo unit for Utah in the second half. This massive 1-2 punch at the paint even produced one of the best highlights of the night for the Jazz.
big-to-big dime ☑️#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/4f9zm8SAa9
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 24, 2020
“I love it,” Gobert said. “I think it can be a strength if we learn how to play together both defensively and offensively. … I’m used to it because I’m used to playing with Fave. For Tony, it’s a little bit something new. I believe in it.”
It was the first time the Jazz suited up again since March after the season was unprecedentedly halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gobert was at the forefront of all the pandemic-related drama as he was one of the first few players in the entire league to test positive of the virus.
Fortunately for the Jazz, the 7'1″ center has fully recovered and is back in the line-up to spearhead Utah's front court.
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