Utah Jazz: 5 takeaways from watching the Utah Jazz play Summer League

The NBA’s summer season schedule, whether or not it is the Salt Lake Metropolis Summer time League, the Las Vegas Summer time League, the California Traditional or, previously, the Orlando Professional Summer time League, all the time highlights the very best of recent NBA prospects and is ready for overreactions and assumptions made too shortly.

It is true that there are just a few gamers who stand out from the group and are clearly higher than the competitors, and it is true that almost all gamers on summer season rosters won’t ever play an NBA recreation, both fading into obscurity or Taking your skills overseas.

However there’s much more center floor and grey space than we normally give credit score for, and that seems to be the place the Utah Jazz spent many of the summer season schedule.

Under are my high 5 takeaways from the Summer time 2022 record.

jared butler

The Jazz’s 2021 Draft choice stays a thriller to me and plenty of Jazz followers. Everyone knows what he was able to at Baylor (he gained a nationwide championship, he shot and was distinctive at every little thing that was requested of him), nevertheless it’s much less clear what he is able to within the NBA.

Butler did not play within the Summer time League his rookie yr, performed in a few preseason video games, then appeared in simply 42 video games for the Jazz final season (principally in junk minutes).

He performed a bit with the SLC Stars, however most of his time was spent behind the scenes taking part in 3-on-3 with the opposite creating gamers on the Jazz roster within the morning on recreation days or off days when the Jazz was dwelling.

So even when we wish to faux we all know what sort of participant Butler will probably be within the NBA, we do not have the precise pattern measurement to say for positive.

That makes this yr’s Summer time League tough for Butler to evaluate. On the one hand, he looks like possibly he ought to have had the abilities to play higher towards a few of the different gamers on the summer season rosters. Then again, he does not must play for his life like a variety of the blokes he confronted within the Salt Lake and Las Vegas exhibitions.

Butler is below contract, and on high of that, he spent the final yr in a reasonably inflexible system that relied on playmaking, imaginative and prescient and a number of actions.

At these summer season showcases, most gamers are simply attempting to trigger a stir to get consideration. They do not have a variety of time to study a system, and admittedly, that is not crucial factor for them.

So for a participant like Butler, who’s all the time attempting to do the precise factor as a substitute of the egocentric factor, he is not going to face out.

All that mentioned, Butler’s capturing throughout summer season league was worrisome. He shot 17.1% from 3-point vary.

Even when you’re not getting the identical high quality of photographs and even when you’re creating your individual possibilities in numerous conditions, it’s best to nonetheless be capable to outshine 30%.

On the plus aspect of issues, Butler’s protection and performs had been spectacular, and you may see there was work and enchancment in these areas.

As we transfer ahead, hopefully at a time when Butler has extra real-time alternatives, we’ll be capable to extra precisely determine what sort of participant he could also be and if his shot has actually fallen again.

johnny juzang

The Jazz’s newest two-way signing is a very intriguing prospect. He has uncooked expertise, can most likely be molded to suit any system, and is happy to work with the Jazz to enhance their recreation.

As I watched, the participant that got here to thoughts as a draft is Atlanta Hawks ahead/capturing guard Bogdan Bogdanovic.

The long-term hope is for Juzang to change into a prototypical 3-and-D participant. With a 6-foot-6 body and a 6-11 wingspan, everybody needs him to be a flexible, changeable defender, however even when he simply develops a common defensive recreation, his pure abilities on offense will give him life within the NBA.

His scoring is spectacular, and I am not simply speaking about his potential to knock down a 3-pointer, which he completely can do. He’s very good relating to parrying unhealthy photographs and his capturing by no means falters.

He has the identical form of fluid shot when he finishes and hits a mid-range soar shot as he does when he steps to the aspect to take a nook 3.

To high it off, he is athletic, has a great contact across the rim and makes fast cuts.

With the correct amount of taking part in time and replays, Juzang might simply change into a task participant most groups can be completely happy to have.

Leandro Bolmaro

The Jazz picked up Bolmaro within the commerce with Minnesota that despatched Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves, and I believe they’re fairly proud of what they’re getting.

The 21-year-old Argentine performed simply 35 video games for the Timberwolves final season, however he performs like he has just a few extra years below his belt and that is most likely as a result of he performed professionally for Barcelona and his nationwide workforce on the Olympics.

Bolmaro is mature with the ball in his palms. He does not play with no backup plan and he has no drawback getting out of a worrying state of affairs, and that is one thing that takes younger gamers a very long time to study.

You’d nonetheless wish to see some extra consistency in his capturing, however his playmaking abilities make Bolmaro a extremely promising younger participant.

Fall Tacko

I actually do not perceive why followers are so obsessive about Tacko Fall. I suppose I can perceive that it is enjoyable and attention-grabbing to observe a 7-foot-6 do something, but when I am being utterly sincere, I do not assume Fall goes to have such a giant NBA profession.

He has the peak and power that would make him a completely unstoppable power on the rim, however he lacks consciousness and timing.

He knocks the ball down too usually, will get it out of his palms, fouls passes, does not know the place the defenders are, does not know the place his teammates are, and by no means actually commits to dunking individuals down the throat, as he ought to.

Jarrell Brantley

The onetime Jazz prospect has circled the globe since leaving Salt Lake Metropolis final September and as soon as once more appeared on the Los Angeles Clippers’ summer season roster.

He performed important minutes for the Clippers summer season workforce, opening and shutting video games and getting actually insightful suggestions and enter from the teaching employees.

An NBA scout instructed me that the arrogance the Clippers employees had in him throughout the Las Vegas run this summer season didn’t go unnoticed.

I caught up with Brantley after the Clippers performed the Jazz in Las Vegas and he talked about what he is realized over the previous yr after taking part in in Russia after which extra just lately in Puerto Rico.

The largest distinction in Brantley’s recreation is that he looks like he is taking part in with extra freedom and is taking part in to enhance quite than exhibit.

He feels that freedom is why the Clippers had been prepared to provide him a lot court docket time this summer season.

The Clippers most likely will not be the workforce to provide Brantley a shot — the roster does not actually have room for him — however there’s nonetheless an opportunity the 26-year-old might land a two-way spot or a winger. financial institution contract with one other workforce.