Utah Jazz Player Ranks: Nos. 20-16

19. JJ O’Brien

Nov 29, 2013; Fullerton, CA, USA; Creighton Bluejays center Will Artino (31) and San Diego State Aztecs forward JJ O’Brien (20) go for a rebound in the first half of the game at the Titan Gym at Cal State Fullerton. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Utah residents likely remember that J.J. O’Brien played for the University of Utah in 2011 before transferring to San Diego State. O’Brien is a six-foot-seven wing that weighs in at 220 lbs. The 23-year-old went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Our own Ryan Aston says of J.J. “As a Ute fan, I was sad to see J.J. O’Brien go when he transferred to San Diego State. Coaches have always raved about his hoops IQ–Aztecs coach Steve Fisher labeled him one of the smartest he’s ever coached. Jazz coaches made similar comments during summer league.”

O’Brien is not much more than a defender at this point. He is a great defender though with NBA size. Ryan also notes that J.J. led his conference in defensive win shares as a senior in college.

The form Ute/Aztec posted moderate numbers in summer league, averaging 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.7 steals per 36 minutes of play. He also hit 54.2 percent of his threes, but he only took seven in eight games. O’Brien also only had one game where he scored more than seven points.

I could see the Jazz giving O’Brien a roster spot on their D-League affiliate, but he has almost no chance of making this team. He is a good defender, but Elijah Millsap is better. That makes him fairly redundant on this roster.

Next: Player #18