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Utah Jazz: Is Royce O’Neale the small forward of the future?

By Zachary Padmore

SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 17: Royce O'Neale #23 of the Utah Jazz tries to drive on Bogdan Bogdanovic #8 of the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on January 17, 2018 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 17: Royce O'Neale #23 of the Utah Jazz tries to drive on Bogdan Bogdanovic #8 of the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on January 17, 2018 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Royce O’Neale, an unknown to many before the season, has been a pleasant surprise for the Utah Jazz this season. Is he the small forward of the future for the Jazz?

Dreams came true for the 60 players who heard their name called during the 2015 NBA Draft. Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis and others headlined the class. However, there was an unheralded, undrafted forward out of Baylor out there who was an NBA prospect all along.

His name is Royce O’Neale.

O’Neale didn’t get picked that night, but that didn’t stop him from chasing his dream of being an NBA player. He spent two years overseas developing his game, and is now a rotation player for the Utah Jazz.

It may have been a head-scratcher for some when it happened, but Dennis Lindsey knew what he was doing when he signed O’Neale to a three-year deal in the offseason. The Jazz will have team options on his contract for the next two seasons.

His effort, defense and shooting have gotten him on the floor. And he’s performed so well of late that Alec Burks has been pushed completely out of the rotation.

He’s also just 24 years old, and has plenty of room to grow. Having said that, is it possible that he’s the small forward of the future for the Jazz? It’s hard to say right now and we still have the trade deadline, 2018 NBA Draft and free agency to look forward to. They could upgrade the position using any of those avenues.

Still, with O’Neale under contract for two more years after this season, he could certainly be a part of the long-term plans.

If he continues to develop, I think he has what it takes to be a starter in the Association. He has all the makings of a 3-and-D wing player: his defense is solid, he’s shooting close to 35 percent from distance and he even has some playmaking skills.

You can get a good look at some of his skills in this video  —

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Defense and 3-point shooting are two things that Quin Snyder likes, so I expect O’Neale to continue seeing the floor for the Jazz. He brings maximum effort, which is exactly what you’d expect from an undrafted player.

Losing Thabo Sefolosha for the rest of the season is a big-time blow for the Jazz, but the injury will give O’Neale some extra playing time. He’s getting better and better, and it is apparent that he, and the Jazz, have a very bright future.

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