Local News

Rudy Gobert named to All-NBA Third Team

Published

4 years ago

September 16, 2020

SALT LAKE CITY – The NBA announced today that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert was named to the 2019-20 All-NBA Third Team. It is the third time that he has received All-NBA accolades after being selected to the All-NBA Third Team in 2018-19 and the All-NBA Second Team following the 2016-17 season.

Gobert was named an All-Star for the first time during the 2019-20 season, owning averages of 15.1 points on 69.3 percent from the field (career-high, second in NBA), 13.5 rebounds (career-high, tied third in NBA), 2.0 blocks (sixth in NBA) and 1.5 assists in 34.5 minutes per contest. His 13.5 rebounds per game was the second-best rebounding average in Jazz franchise history and the most since Truck Robinson grabbed 15.7 per contest during the 1977-78 season.

He led the NBA for the second-straight season in slam dunks, jamming home 221 on the year. In addition, he totaled 471 screen assists which was also a league high for the second-straight season. With a block against Phoenix on February 24, the center logged his 1000th career block, becoming the third fastest active player to hit that milestone, doing so in his 462nd NBA contest.

During the 2019-20 campaign, the sixth-year pro ranked third in defensive win shares (4.2) and fifth in total win shares (10.7) in the NBA. He also contested 16.4 shots per contest, which was the second most shots contested per game last season. The 28-year-old totaled 49 double-doubles in 2019-20, the fourth most by any player on the year.

The native of France has helped the Jazz to four-straight postseason appearances, appearing in seven playoff contests in 2020, averaging 16.9 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 38.6 minutes per game.

Gobert was named to his fourth-straight All-NBA Defensive First Team on September 8, marking the most All-NBA Defensive First Team honors in franchise history. He was also named a top-three finalist for the NBA’s 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year after having garnered the award in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Alongside Gobert, Miami’s Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Houston’s Russell Westbrook were named to the 2019-20 All-NBA Third Team.