Utah Jazz: What to watch for during the preseason

Can Joel Bolomboy make the cut?

One of the most interesting story lines of the preseason is going to be whether Joel Bolomboy can show enough improvement to keep his spot on the roster.

At the end of last season and prior to Summer League play, there was a lot of talk from Jazz fans and media about the larger role that Bolomboy was going to receive this season. Many thought that he would carve out a role as a high intensity role player off the bench, and he would receive consistent minutes.

Then the summer league came and the narrative did a complete 180. He did nothing to stand out, while averaging just 6.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and shooting only 36.5 percent. Now, we are left to wonder if he will even make the final roster.

He is trying to move past that performance however, and stayed in Utah this past summer to work on his game. In an interview with the Deseret News, he said:

"“Literally, you just have to let it go,” Bolomboy said. “Summer League is done and over with. I can’t go back and change how I played. I talked to coach (Quin Snyder) and he told me, ‘the NBA only cares about how you’re playing today.’ The Summer League is the past. I’m playing great today and trying to get better. I just have to worry about the stuff I can control. The past isn’t on my mind anymore. I’m looking forward to the future.”"

Hopefully he can showcase the improvements he’s made over the summer, because NBA journeyman Royce O’Neale is going to be breathing down his neck.

Most recently, O’Neale has been playing overseas in Germany and Spain, where he averaged 8.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 20.6 minutes. He played his college ball at Baylor, where he led Baylor to it’s first back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in its history. He is a solid rotational player. He will likely never be a starter in the NBA, but he could find a role in the NBA as a defense first wing who is also big enough to rebound the ball.

During the preseason, this is going to be an intriguing battle to watch, and Bolomboy will have to show some real growth for the Utah Jazz to reserve a roster spot for him.