SALT LAKE CITY (May 18, 2017) – The NBA today announced that Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has been named to the 2017 All-NBA Second Team, marking the first selection of his career. He becomes the first Jazz player since 2009-10 (Deron Williams) to be named to an All-NBA Team.
Appearing in 81 games (all starts), Gobert averaged career highs of 14.0 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game while posting career-bests in field goal percentage (.662) and free throw percentage (.653) while helping the Jazz to their first 50-win season since 2009-10. He led the NBA in total blocks (214), blocks per game (2.6), block percentage (6.4), defensive win shares (6.0), defensive real plus/minus (6.03), true shooting percentage (.683) and points per shot (1.82). He finished third in offensive rating (129.0) and defensive rating (99.2), the only player in the NBA to finish in the top-five in both categories. His .662 mark from the field is the best for a single-season in franchise history and ranked second in the NBA this year.
The fourth-year center became the first player in franchise history and the first NBA player since 2009-10 to compile 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 200 blocks in a single season. In addition, he now ranks seventh on the Jazz all-time blocks lists (579). Gobert recorded a league-best 42 consecutive games with at least one block and led the league with four games of at least six blocks, eight games with five blocks, 18 games with four blocks, 42 games with three blocks, 63 games with two blocks and 77 games with one block. He anchored a Jazz defense that led the league in opponent points per game (96.8), finished second in opponent field goal percentage (.443) and third in defensive rating (102.7).
Gobert becomes the eighth Jazz player and 35th recipient overall to be selected to an All-NBA Team, joining Karl Malone (14 selections), John Stockton (11 selections), Pete Maravich (three selections), Adrian Dantley (two selections), Deron Williams (two selections), Carlos Boozer (one selection) and Truck Robinson (one selection).
The All-NBA Teams were chosen by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis. Voters were asked to select two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, picking players at the position they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position where they received the most votes. A full list of the All-NBA Team selections is below.
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--utahjazz.com—