If you are looking for a block party, I believe there might be one tonight down by Broad St and Pattison Ave.
Thats because the Sixers and Nerlens "The Eraser" Noel take on the somewhat-surging Utah Jazz tonight and their 2nd year defensive phenom Rudy "The Stifle Tower" Gobert. The young Frenchman is averaging 20 boards in his last 2 games. He's also leading he league in interior defense since February 1st. In short … he's good.
The Jazz in recent years have been an embarrassment of frontcourt riches in recent years, perhaps to their detriment. It was only a few years ago when they rolled out Big Al Jefferson, Pau Milsap, and then brought 2nd overall pick Derrick Favors and 3rd overall pick Enes Kanter off the bench. While that could be viewed as a good problem to have, there simply isn't enough frontcourt minutes to keep so many talented players happy, and let your young players develop properly. See Derrick Favors – he has come on as of late, playing some great ball. But it took him 4 years in the league to have his first double-digit scoring season. Does something like that happen in a setting similar to, say, the Sixers this year, where a premium is placed on playing young guys? Probably not. Too many chefs in the kitchen that is the paint.
The Jazz finally got wise and let Milsap and Jefferson walk to make room for the next generation. They also then drafted Rudy Gobert (how great of a nickname is "The Stifle Tower" by the way?), and thus found themselves in a similar situation again. While Kanter and Favors devoured minutes after years of not getting theirs, Gobert saw a paltry 9 mpg in his first season. Gobert began to emerge early this season, so the Jazz felt they could move Enes Kanter in a trade deadline swap with the OKC Thunder and not miss a beat since Rudy could pick up the slack.
And boy were they right. Gobert has been phenomenal int he last few weeks, particularly since the trade. And the Jazz, who early in the season were more or less in the basement with the Sixers, have won 7 of their last 10 games and while the playoffs aren't happening this year, I'm sure they have their eyes on that vulnerable Western Conference 8th seed going in to next year.
The Sixers themselves have a great young defensive pivot man in Nerlens Noel, and watching the two of them matchup tonight should be fun. Although keep something close to cover your eyes with, Gobert is no stick figure like Noel. With Embiid's return on the horizon, and the potential of drafting Okafor this summer in the draft (if you subscribe to drafting talent over need), then the Sixers might find themselves soon with a frontcourt crowded with young budding stars. There may be some lessons to be gleaned from the Jazz's experience, that sometimes you truly to get addition by subtraction.
Game Notes:
- Looks like Bobby Buckets is returning tonight from that elbow injury sustained in the Pacers game this past Sunday.
- The Jazz have won the last 4 meetings between these two teams, and are ahead 49-41 in the all-time matchup.
- Rudy Gobert (138) and Nerlens Noel (111) rank 3rd and 6th, respectively, in total blocks in the NBA this season. They have the same ranks for Defensive Box Plus/Minus also. The paint will be a dangerous place tonight.
Projected Lineups:
Sixers
PG Isaiah Canaan
SG Jason Richardson
SF Robert Covington
PF Luc Mbah a Moute
C Nerlens Noel
Jazz
PG Dante Exum
SG Joe Ingles
SF Gordon Hayward
PF Derrick Favors
C Rudy Gobert
Injuries: Sixers: Joel Embiid (Out, Foot), Tony Wroten (Out, right knee).
Jazz: Alec Burks (Out, Shoulder).
Prediction: I think the Jazz's big men overpower the Sixers front court, and they take it in a close, competitive game, 97-95.
