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“The Utah Jazz is still the same team, Rudy Gobert protects all of them”: Marcus Morris Sr. believes the three-time DPOY blankets the poor defense of his Jazz teammates

Arjun Julka
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"The Utah Jazz is still the same team, Rudy Gobert protects all of them": Marcus Morris Sr. believes the three-time DPOY blankets the poor defense of his Jazz teammates

LA Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr pays Rudy Gobert the ultimate compliment while dissing the latter’s teammates.

The Utah Jazz extended their winning streak to eight games, defeating the LA Clippers 124-103. The Jazz duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert was sensational during the game snapping the four-game winning streak of the Clippers. The Clippers played without Paul George and Nicolas Batum.

Marcus Morris was the leading scorer for the Clippers, with 24-points and 8-rebounds. Interestingly, the Clippers had eliminated the Jazz in the 2021 western conference semi-finals after being down 0-2. While complimenting the elite defense of Gobert, Marcus took a jibe at the defensive abilities of the rest of the team.

There is no denying that Gobert is one of the best defenders, especially in the paint. The seven-foot center is a three-time DPOY and led the league in blocks in 2017. Gobert is just behind the current leader in rebounds, Clint Capela. The Jazz big man is averaging 13.5 RPG.

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Recently, Morris spoke about Gobert being the only defender on the Jazz roster, blanketing the lack of defense from other team members.

Marcus Morris Sr. pays a double-handed compliment to the Utah Jazz.

Morris has played a mere 13-games this season so far due to injury. However, the veteran forward is currently averaging 13.8 PPG and 4.8 RPG on a 43.3% shooting from the field, coming off the bench. The former Knicks player is known to play dirty defense.

Recently, the 32-year old reflected on the loss against the Jazz that ended their four-game winning streak. Morris was all praise for Gobert but didn’t shy away from throwing slander at latter’s teammates.

“Yeah, they’re still the same team,” Morris said. “Ain’t nothing changed. [Rudy] protects all of them. None of them really can defend. Just funnel it to him, and it’s tough to – he’s a great player, and he does a great job of, you know, anticipation, staying down, being real solid. So, you know who they are.”

Via: Fan Nation

Morris’ words seem welcoming, especially after Wolves players Patrick Beverly and Anthony Edwards criticized Gobert’s defense and that he instilled no fear in their minds. Morris’ criticism may be fair because the Jazz relies too heavily on Gobert for their defense.

The Clippers forward’s statements also stem from the fact that they had defeated the Jazz after being down 0-2 in the series. Though their roster remains identical to last season, the team did add Rudy Gay.

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The Jazz and the Clippers will have a rematch in March next year. Hopefully, both rosters are healthy, and there are no injuries.

    About the author

    Arjun Julka

    Arjun Julka

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    Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.

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