Jazz's Gobert preparing to put in work after signing contract

The Utah Jazz locked up Rudy Gobert to a four-year extension worth a reported $102 million this week, ensuring the center wouldn't see restricted free agency this coming summer.

The 24-year-old Frenchman was also candid about living up to the contract.

"I've got a lot of room to grow," Gobert said, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "I know I'm not the player I can be yet. I've got a lot of work to do. It all starts now."

A defensive wunderkind, the 7-foot-1 Gobert is limited offensively. He did not hit a shot from outside 10 feet in the NBA until last March, in his third season. He's averaged 7.2 points in 192 career games, mostly on dunks and putbacks.

However, the Jazz don't necessarily need Gobert to become an offensive master.

"What we want to do is make him better in the role that he currently has, and then if there's anything more than that, that's gravy," Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey told ESPN. "It's icing on the cake."

Jazz coach Quin Snyder likened Gobert's skill set to a big man like Andrew Bogut - through rim protection, passing, and screening.

"You see certain guys in the league that are great screeners - Bogut being the most obvious example - they just make their team so much more efficient," Snyder said. "That's something he continues to buy into. And then obviously, his offense will come from that as people have to react."

There's little to nitpick with Gobert defensively. Since the beginning of the 2014-15 season, he's averaged almost 11 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. Last season, opponents' offensive rating was almost three points per 100 possessions higher with Gobert off the floor, according to Basketball-Reference.