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SALT LAKE CITY — After missing 15 games due to a sprained PCL and knee bone bruise, Rudy Gobert will return to the court on Friday night against the New York Knicks. The game is on ESPN at 8:30 p.m.
"I'm really happy (to return)," Gobert said. "It's been tough. I had to be patient, but finally the day has come."
Gobert will be on some sort of a minutes restriction, according to Jazz head coach Quin Snyder, though Gobert indicated that it would be mostly due to the need to get his conditioning back to full-game NBA standards.
Gobert was also asked if he'd be starting. And while he answered with a "yes," he also then quickly asked if Snyder said he was starting. When told Snyder said that he didn't know yet, then Gobert said, with a smile, "So then, I don't know."
Without Gobert, the Jazz's defense has suffered. In those 14 games Gobert has been out, the Jazz have had the fourth-worst defense in the league, allowing 111.3 points per 100 possessions. With Gobert on the floor this year, they've averaged 101.1 points per 100 possessions, which would be the third-best defense in the league over the course of a full season.
Bringing Gobert back now allows the Jazz to evaluate a number of different rotation questions. Derrick Favors' minutes alongside Gobert will be a question mark, as will his relationship with point guard Ricky Rubio. Star guard Donovan Mitchell is also playing at a higher level than the last time Gobert played with the Jazz.
"I think he's gotten a lot better, especially at reading the defense. I feel like there were more bad shots earlier on in the season, but now he's being more efficient," Gobert said about Mitchell. "I've talked to him also, about the best offensive players have to be efficient if they want to win. I feel like he's getting better every game."
Among other items on the injury report, Jonas Jerebko is listed as questionable for Friday night's game due to back spasms. Thabo Sefolosha and Dante Exum both will not play as they recover from surgeries.
