Gobert, Ingles, Join Gay And Bogdanovic On Bench Vs. Spurs – KSL Sports
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Quin Snyder announced the Utah Jazz will be without Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles in their preseason opener against the San Antonio Spurs.
Gobert and Ingles will join Bojan Bogdanovic and new Jazzman Rudy Gay on the bench after the team announced Sunday that both players would miss the game.
Bogdanovic, Ingles, and Gobert all played extra games over the summer in preparation for the Olympics. Though Bogdanovic’s Croatian team was eliminated before the Tokyo games, both Ingles and Gobert carried their teams to the medal podium.
Gay will miss his first opportunity to suit up for the Jazz, as well as the team’s three remaining preseason games due to offseason surgery to remove bone spurs from his left heel.
With three major pieces of the team’s frontcourt sitting out, that should provide an extra opportunity for newcomers Hassan Whiteside and Eric Paschall to see the floor in their Jazz debut.
Whiteside is expected to be the primary backup for Gobert when the regular season begins while Paschall is looking to care out a role in the team’s rotation.
“Just to have him have an opportunity to play minutes, which he would do if Rudy [Gobert] were playing as well, it’ll be good to see him get out there,” Jazz coach Quin Synder said of Whiteside’s increased role against San Antonio.
Similarly, Ingles absence should open an opportunity for both Trent Forrest and rookie guard Jared Butler to see the floor.
Forrest re-signed with the Jazz on a two-way contract after a strong showing during summer league while the team traded for Butler on draft night.
Any minutes Butler sees against San Antonio will be his first since he led the Baylor Bears to the national championship over Gonzaga in early April. After being named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, Butler had to go through the NBA’s Fitness-To-Play protocol to prove he was healthy enough to return to the floor.
After being cleared by the league’s board, the Jazz let the rookie return to the floor slowly before declaring him fully healthy during the team’s media day last week.
The Jazz and Spurs will tip-off at 6:30 pm MT, the game will not be televised but will be available on 102.7 KSL News Radio, AM 1160, 97.5 The Zone, and AM 1280.