This article pretty much sums up how I feel. I think he has always been pretty toxic/bad teammate.
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[https://kslsports.com/500375/timberwolves-trade-for-gobert-was-a-failure/](https://kslsports.com/500375/timberwolves-trade-for-gobert-was-a-failure/)
by PodcastParamedic
19 Comments
We essentially got Gobert 2.0 in Kessler, what else is there to say? He already shows way more promise on offense than Gobert and he has the potential to be a DPOY level defender in the near future. I wouldn’t trade Kessler for Gobert right now, it just doesn’t make sense if you factor in age and contracts. Everything else is gravy, and there is a TON of gravy.
Happy thoughts
Massive W for the Jazz but I hate to see it go so poorly for Rudy. I hope they have huge success the years Utah doesn’t have their picks.
I honestly feel a little guilty. Our future got so much better while it utterly destroyed the wolves.
On the other hand, the trade was the perfect rebrand for the Jazz. Hardy got a lot of non-star players (at the time) who are moldable and respond well to his coaching. We now have a solid foundation of young players receiving great coaching and assets which will help us be competitive for the next decade. None of that would have been possible without this trade
I wouldn’t want to trade him for Kessler straight up. We maximized what Gobert did well while he was in Utah and hid his flaws like ball handling and shooting. Plus our defensive scheme wasn’t a “lack of effort” from wing defenders, it was simply that a team with 5 shooters on the court exposed us because we wanted Rudy in the paint
Big win for the Jazz, no question.
We won that trade. The Mitchell one is still up for debate but Rudy to Minny was a home run for Utah and we’ll be milking that cash cow for the rest of the decade
Still have love for Rudy and wouldn’t be surprised if we retire his jersey. But that trade was a steal. We fleeced the wolves badly.
Can you give any examples of him “always” being a “pretty toxic/bad teammate” other than him punching Kyle Anderson?
We won the trade, and the timing was right.
Rudy is definitely in my top 5 Jazz men of all time. Always played hard and loyal to the team.
I think he has a personality where he doesn’t always bond with the American players. He never seemed to hang out with other guys off the court, but seemed content working out, bee keeping, photographing ducks, hiking alone, and meeting up with close friends on the road. Honestly that’s probably what I’d be like too, so I relate more than anything. I believe he bothers teammates while encouraging defense. Personality, culture, whatever the cause, he plays hard and demands the same. He’s working a job at an elite level, so it makes sense that driven personalities will clash.
His controversies are incredibly overblown. With hindsight, the COVID stuff is a 1/10, a non-issue which he immediately apologized for. Now he’s being verbally abused and pushes a guy in the chest, apologizes within a day, and now this is supposedly evidence of him being toxic. Fuck outta here. Call me when he torpedoes a team by refusing to play or demanding a trade.
Depending on what the Minn picks become, could be one of the best (for the Jazz) trades in league history. Time will tell but Ainge fleeced them, Red Auerbach would be proud.
Brutal article for wolves fans. I remember thinking at the time of the trade that yeah Minnesota overpaid A LITTLE BIT, but the upside could make it worthwhile. Uffda this trade could sting that organization for years.
>I think he has always been pretty toxic/bad teammate.
Always? Come on bro. He was great for us.
Hard to along with? Maybe.
Always toxic? That’s a Stephen A. Smith exaggeration.
It doesn’t matter who win, honestly. If this was not to happen, Kessler would probably play off the bench to no playing time and potentially get traded. So… I wouldn’t say a win from this trade. It just happened that Kessler was given an opportunity to play more than a normal rookie.
I love the guy. I had watched his entire career as a Jazzman. That being said, we absolutely ripped the Wolves off. We have pieces that are a solid foundation for a rebuild, and we’ll probably be able to make the jump to contender through the picks we have from them if everything works out well for us.
The Jazz definitely came out on top. I have mixed emotions about it. Gobert did a lot of great things in the community, many of which weren’t publicized. He’s a good person, but has a “little man” complex that’s odd coming from a big guy. I firmly believe he was the cause of the team’s drastic morale loss last season. And it looks like he’s doing the same in Minnesota.
We should have to send them a pick back
I’m a wolves fan but this post showed up in my recommended. Utah has a lot to be excited for about in their future. Kessler looks like the man and I bet he even starts shooting more as the years progress. He looks very comfortable taking 3’s! I’m also excited to see who y’all select with the wolves picks. Hopefully in years after this its not so close to the lottery lol.
I think the Timberwolves got robbed