Utah Jazz: In Lyles’ Absence, Joel Bolomboy Finds His Groove

Utah Jazz rookie Joel Bolomboy had a very strong finish to the Las Vegas NBA Summer League that could very well improve his chances of qualifying for the team’s final 15-man roster.

The NBA Summer League came to an end for the Utah Jazz on Friday night. After getting knocked out in the second round of tournament play by the Denver Nuggets, the Jazz rebounded with an exciting 92-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers and finished the Las Vegas Summer League with a respectable record of 3-3.

In the early going of the Las Vegas Summer League, Trey Lyles led the Jazz’s charge with an impressive 28 points against the Washington Wizards and 30 points in a disappointing double overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. (On a side note – Am I the only one who thinks the new summer league sudden death double overtime rule is really cool?!)

Unfortunately in those two games and for most of the Utah Summer League, the Jazz’s second round draft pick Joel Bolomboy struggled mightily. Coming off the bench behind Lyles, the promising big man out of Weber State had difficulty finding a rhythm.

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However, with Lyles sitting out four of Utah’s final five Summer League games including each of the last three, Bolomboy was inserted into the starting lineup. And with an expanded opportunity in Lyles’ absence, he performed exceptionally well.

In the win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Bolomboy posted 13 points despite shooting a less than efficient 5-of-13 from the field. However, perhaps the most notable aspect of his performance that night was his incredible effort and energy on the boards where he pulled down 11 rebounds.

The next time that Bolomboy got the nod as a starter was in the Jazz’s 86-71 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Bolomboy increased in scoring and efficiency finishing an impressive 5-of-6 from the field with 14 points and nine rebounds.

When Utah took on the Denver Nuggets in the ensuing contest, Bolomboy didn’t put up as many points, but still shot a commendable 3-of-6 from the field and maintained his rebounding prowess with eight boards.

However, in the Jazz’s final contest of the 2016 NBA Summer League, Bolomboy put up a dazzling performance. The rookie power forward finished the game with a team-high 20 points on a super efficient 9-of-12 shooting from the field. Not to mention, he displayed his impressive rebounding ability once again by pulling down seven boards.

We finish up our #NBASummer with a WIN!!

Behind @Bolomboy21's 20 points (9/12 fg) we beat the Lakers 92-88! pic.twitter.com/n9MFnJezJT
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 16, 2016

What has stood out the most about Bolomboy’s recent performances has been the versatility he’s shown on offense. Not only have his points come on well-controlled post-ups and power dunks in the paint, but he has shown off his sweet mid-range stroke and even nailed a three in the most recent win against the Lakers.

Although Bolomboy’s early Summer League performances had his future somewhat shrouded in doubt, his final three games have undoubtedly helped his case for deserving a spot on Utah’s roster.

He obviously still needs some work on the defensive end as he adapts to the speed and size present in the NBA game, but in his final outings, Bolomboy fully displayed the energy, effort and offensive versatility that the Jazz hoped to get out of the young player when they drafted him.

https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/754144061892669440

With the Jazz’s recent offseason additions of George Hill, Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw, their current roster sits at the limit of 15 players. However, this includes the likes of Chris Johnson, Tibor Pleiss, Jeff Withey and Raul Neto.

None of these players seems absolutely vital to the Jazz’s plans moving forward and be it via trade or buy-out, it wouldn’t be surprising to see at least one of them moved to make room for Bolomboy.

While that could be bad news for at least one player on the Jazz roster (most likely Johnson for lack of production and/or Neto due to the logjam at the point guard position), it is certainly good news for Bolomboy.

In my opinion, Bolomboy’s conclusion to Summer League, coupled with the overwhelming potential that got him drafted in the first place, are both reasons enough for Jazz brass to make sure there’s a spot for him on the Jazz roster moving forward.

Mar 17, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Weber State Wildcats forward Joel Bolomboy (21) talks with the media during a practice day before the first round of the NCAA men

Bolomboy’s best performances came as a starter during Summer League, and while he won’t be a Jazz starter during the regular season anytime soon, he could very well be a starter and leading scorer for the Jazz’s D-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.

While certainly not as glamorous, as he gets the chance to develop and improve in that league and hone his versatility and other skills, he could find himself making a lasting impact for the Jazz much sooner rather than later.

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So while Joel Bolomboy still has significant room for improvement (which is obviously expected in a rookie) his latest outings have proved that he definitely belongs in the league and deserves a spot on the Utah Jazz’s final roster.

If he can build off of his Summer League performance and follow it up with an exceptional training camp this fall, he should be able to all but guarantee it.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com