Utah Jazz ’17-18 review: His name is Jonas (Jerebko)
By Ryan Aston
Journeyman big Jonas Jerebko became an important bench player for the Utah Jazz over the course of the 2017-18 season.
Full disclosure — I’m a Jonas Jerebko fan. I still contend that big things were in store for him had he not suffered a ruptured Achilles ahead of his second year with the Detroit Pistons. Nevertheless, the 31-year-old has managed to carve out an impressive career for himself as a solid player on some good teams.
It was more of the same this season; Jerebko was the embodiment of the Utah Jazz’s “next man up” mentality throughout the 2017-18 campaign.
Let’s rewind.
When Utah inked Jerebko to a two-year deal last July, the signing didn’t exactly set Jazz Nation ablaze. Nor did the acquisition of fellow journeymen Thabo Sefolosha and Ekpe Udoh. After all, the team was only two weeks removed from losing Gordon Hayward. The fanbase was still mourning the loss of an All-Star.
However, Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey didn’t blink. He was already executing Plan B by then and Jerebko was an important part of that plan. Hard-nosed defense, smart play and a mob mentality offensively were the order of the day.
Jerebko helped provide those things for the Jazz, although the impact wasn’t immediate.
Udoh’s strong play early resulted in more minutes for the EuroLeague Finals MVP and a spot at the end of the bench for Jerebko, who was also still adjusting to the Jazz system. In Utah’s seven October games, he played just four total minutes. Despite the lack of playing time, Jerebko stayed ready.
He got his first real taste of action on November 1 against the Portland Trail Blazers. Jerebko saw 20 minutes on the court that night, hitting 2-of-3 shots from distance for eight points, adding seven boards and two assists, to help the Jazz to a nine-point win.
His role with the team would increase significantly when star center Rudy Gobert went down with his first knee injury in mid-November. Jerebko went on to start 10 straight games from November 13-December 1 and helped the Jazz stay afloat in the standings.
Over that span, he averaged nearly 10 points and five boards in 22 minutes per game. He also ripped the nets, knocking down 55 percent of his shot attempts. Nearly half of those came from distance, were he was connecting at a 49-percent clip.
The Swedish national was a rotational mainstay from that point forward. His minutes weren’t always consistent and he would notch a handful of DNPs over the course of the year, but, on the whole, Jerebko’s resurgent 3-point shooting, rebounding and overall effort were important facets to the Jazz’s second-unit attack.
Not counting Dante Exum‘s 14-game run at the end of the season, Jerebko actually logged the best offensive rating of all the team’s rotation players. The Jazz put up a whopping 108 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court.
For the year, Jerebko appeared in 74 games (19 starts) for Utah. He scored 5.8 points and grabbed 3.3 rebounds per contest on 47-41-80 shooting splits.
His best outing probably came against his former team, the Boston Celtics, on December 15. In 24 minutes of the bench, he hit 6-of-8 shots, including two triples, scoring a season-high 17 points and adding seven boards and two steals. The Jazz won the game 107-95 at TD Garden.
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With Snyder tightening up his rotation, Jerebko didn’t play a major role during the postseason. He played less than eight minutes per contest and made just 1-of-6 3-point shots.
His future with the Jazz is uncertain; the second year (worth $4.2 million) of Jerebko’s deal is non-guaranteed. The team has until July 9 to make a decision on him. Nevertheless, during his exit interview, Jerebko made clear the fact the he wants to be back.
Said Jerebko —
"“I see a bright future for this franchise and I want to be a part of it. I obviously want a bigger role than I had this year, but that’s all up to me. I’m going to have to put in the work this summer and come back ready.”"
I, for one, would like to see him get his chance. Jerebko was the team’s lone stretch option for much of the year and the Jazz offense soared at times when he was paired with Gobert. The duo had net rating of 9.6 in 313 shared minutes.
Next: Utah Jazz '17-18 review: Raul Neto battles injuries
If Lindsey can’t secure a long-term fit at power forward or back-up center on the open market, Jerebko should be the guy. He’s an inexpensive option and may still have more to offer the Jazz.