Utah Jazz: Player Awards at the Halfway Point

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Utah Jazz Joel Bolomboy Golden State Warriors JaVale McGee
December 20, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Utah Jazz forward Joel Bolomboy (21) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors center JaVale McGee (1) during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Jazz 104-74. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Rookie of the Year

Alright, alright, so there’s really not any competition here as the Utah Jazz have just one rookie, Joel Bolomboy. And while he hasn’t had really any impact at all for the Jazz, only logging minutes in garbage time for a total of 21 minutes over the course of nine games, he’s shown some high-potential moments during his time with the Salt Lake City Stars.

In nine games with the Jazz’s D-League affiliate, Bolomboy has averaged 16.1 points per game on 52.5 percent shooting from the field and 45.5 percent from three. He’s also pulling down a monster 13.8 rebounds per contest and logging 1.7 blocks.

Bolomboy still has a ways to go before proving that he can be a steady contributor on an NBA roster, but his solid play in the D-League is an encouraging sign that the Jazz very well may have found a diamond in the rough who has played exceptionally well, especially for a number 52 pick in the draft.

Thus, while it may seem like more of a consolation prize given the lack of competition, Joel Bolomboy is the fortunate recipient of the mid-season Utah Jazz Rookie of the Year award.

ROY – Joel Bolomboy