The Utah Jazz have managed to stay competitive so far in the 2017-18 NBA season despite the loss of star forward Gordon Hayward. However, things almost took a turn for the worst after a hard collision between center Rudy Gobert and Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters.
Despite initially limping off the court after the spill, he later returned and managed to finish the game with a double-double. According to Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News, Gobert felt Waiters' actions were dirty:
“It feels better than it looked on the video,” Gobert said after the game. “I think it was a dirty play, but no matter what, the most important thing is to keep getting better and to win tomorrow.”
Gobert is certainly right about the play not looking very good at first glance. However, there was not much that shows Waiters trying to do anything else but track down a loose ball.
Although Gobert finished the game with 12 points and 12 rebounds, the right knee contusion kept him out of action during Saturday's 114-106 win against the Brooklyn Nets. While it is clear that last year's Defensive Player of the Year runner-up is a bit frustrated, head coach Quin Snyder has since disregarded any notion of a dirty play on Waiters' part.
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