Throughout the last few weeks as conversations surrounding the Feb. 17 NBA All-Star Game began to heat up, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert started to gain steam as a player who might not have been an obvious pick to many fans, but someone who coaches recognized worthy of selection.
Given that Gobert was not named a starter last week, it was up to those coaches to name him a reserve, but as that list of 14 players (seven from each conference) was unveiled Thursday evening on TNT, the Frenchman’s name was not among them.
Gobert not getting picked is a surprise, as he’s maintained his status as an elite defender after winning Defensive Player of the Year following last season, and he’s become more and more important offensively, this year averaging 15 points and an NBA-leading 6.