SALT LAKE CITY (NBA/EuroBasket 2015) - France's Rudy Gobert is one of those NBA players whose stock has risen since the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The tournament has served as a launchpad for greater things for the Utah Jazz center, a 22-year-old who has blossomed into one of the league's top defenders in his second season.

With players at his position often continuing to develop into their late twenties, it's safe to say that Gobert is only scratching the surface of his potential.

The Jazz would have been excited when watching their pivot perform in Madrid, especially in the Quarter-Finals against hosts Spain when he came up with the block of the tournament.

Gobert was instrumental in that 65-52 upset which paved the way for a third-place finish.

No one had expected a French team without Tony Parker and Alexis Ajinca to reach the podium but they did, beating Lithuania in their last game, 95-93.

Gobert admits that he is already thinking about this summer, when he will run onto the floor with Les Bleus at the EuroBasket in Montpellier.

He said as much when asked by bebasket.fr about his aims for this year.

"Individually, the first thing that comes to mind is the Euro with the team of France," he said.

"But before the Euro, it will be working hard this summer.

"For next season, the goal of the (Jazz) franchise is to reach the playoffs because if we continue to defend as well as we have and keep making progress, we will be in the race.

"And personally, I want to continue to grow and become even more of a leader on the court."

In his last 10 games, Gobert has been on a tear.

He has averaged 9.9 points 14.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest.

Gobert says that right now, his full attention is on the Jazz and that he has yet to go over the details of what he plans to do this summer.

"To be honest, we have not talked about it," he said.

"They know I intend to go there and I do not think there will be problems.

"They know it's important to me and they saw that it allowed me to grow last year."

FIBA