Rudy Gobert has been on the receiving end of massive hate following the Utah Jazz's shocking Game 6 defeat to Terance Mann and the Los Angeles Clippers. After all, a lot of critics said he was basically exposed by the Clips as he became a liability on the defensive end.
In response to all the talks about his defense, Gobert explained the Jazz's defensive strategy in the game and emphasized they allowed Mann to shoot since they prioritized stopping Paul George and Reggie Jackson from getting their way under the basket.
“The problem is if I don't come and help, we give up layups. … The gameplan was for us to let Terance Mann shoot rather than letting Reggie Jackson or PG get layups. We tried to adjust with full rotations. They played perfectly on almost every possession,” Rudy Gobert shared, per Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Sure enough, that strategy backfired big time since Mann exploded for 39 points on 15-of-21 shooting. He made seven of his 10 attempts from 3-point territory while adding two rebounds and two steals.
George and Jackson ended up scoring 28 and 27, respectively, as well since Gobert's deficiency in defending the perimeter was exploited by LA.
Gobert was the worst player for the Jazz during Friday's contest, as he finished with a plus-minus boxscore of -24–which speaks volumes on how he was a non-factor throughout. However, he is also not only the sole reason for Utah's failure considering the lack of adjustments made by the team that led to four straight losses.
Then again, it was another playoff heartbreak for the Jazz. They now enter the postseason with questions on what changes must me made to build a true championship roster.
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