How the Bulls can successfully attack Rudy Gobert in Jazz matchup

The Chicago Bulls are in Utah for a Wednesday night matchup against the Jazz — a game where limiting Rudy Gobert will be key for a victory.

The Utah Jazz are tied for sixth in the NBA for defensive rating and are 22nd in pace. The Chicago Bulls are 13th in pace and 18th in defensive rating. What we’re trying to say? This game will come down to who is able to control the tempo.

For the Bulls to do so, they will need to push the ball when ever they can and attack the switches when they game slows down. Both of those strategies go right at Utah’s former DPOY Rudy Gobert.

The best way to beat the Jazz is to speed them up. Utah runs a four out, dribble drive offense. They have their primary ball handlers, Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley, in the slot positions with their shooters in the corner. Their center, Gobert, follows the ball from box to box.

Here’s how the Bulls can limit Jazz center Rudy Gobert in their matchup

The initial ball handler will try to drive middle. If he can’t get a paint touch, he kicks it to the corner, then the corner man will drive baseline. As he does so, the center moves to the high post area. This forces the secondary help to commit to the middle of the paint, leaving the weak-side corner wide open. From there, teams are in a scramble, giving up wide open threes on reverses.

Utah isn’t a very athletic team outside of Gobert and Mitchell. They don’t have players who can shake a defender off the dribble and make highlight play at the rim. Their system is what makes each player a threat attacking the paint and from 3-point range. That system takes three-to-five ball rotations to work.

Speeding up the game will force them out of their offensive rhythm. Most dribble drive offenses try to get downhill fast. The Jazz rely on a slower point of attack, knowing that their best shot isn’t coming on the initial, or even the second, pass. When sped up, they miss some of their check offs in their sets and become stagnant on offense.

Up-and-down games also tend to be messier on the offensive end, which generally hurts the Bulls but can work in their favor on Wednesday. As a team with dynamic scorers and more athleticism on the wing, a high-tempo running match is doable for the Bulls.

More importantly, an up-and-down game limits Gobert’s low-post activity. If the Bulls pressure the Jazz from baseline to baseline, Utah has to either beat the pressure with the dribble or pass to advance the ball past the defense. In doing so, Gobert wouldn’t be able to do his traditional rim run at the pace he’s accustomed to. Without Gobert waiting in the middle, the dribble drive doesn’t create the same rotation debacle.

The next, and most feasible way the Bulls can beat the Jazz, is to attack Gobert on the offensive end. Usually it isn’t smart to go right at a former DPOY, but in this case it’s the best option in breaking down Utah’s defense. Gobert is masterful as a help-side defender, and solid in short-lived switches.

Generally, the Jazz have Gobert drop back and play two in PNR sets while the guard recovers going over the screen. DeRozan is currently shooting 34% from three. Utah likely won’t go over the screen. In that case, DeRozan will have to fake attack Gobert hard off the screen and then pull it out to get a one-on-one matchup with Gobert.

DeRozan will have to be patient, though. When Gobert is left to defend two, he drops back, making it appear that the mid-range shot is open. His 7-foot-9 wingspan gives him the ability to still close out and block jump shot attempts when giving up space. He’s also able to pick off lobs and dump downs to the roller in those same scenarios.

Nikola Vucevic will have to pop and DeRozan will have to back it out to best exploit Gobert. Once he has the one-on-one matchup, he will have to do one move and go. Guards who play with the ball on Gobert find that he’s able to move his feet and give a quality contest. He struggles with dynamic playmakers, especially guards who play in straight lines and attack through contact. Finesse won’t cut it on Gobert.

If the Bulls are able to speed the game up and attack Gobert, they will have a great chance at beating the Jazz and getting a much-needed win over an elite team.