Examining the Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers connection
By Josh Padmore
George Hill
George Hill only spent one season with the Utah Jazz. Unfortunately, it was an injury-plagued one. Hill played in just 49 games for Utah during the 2016-17 season. The Jazz actually acquired Hill in a three-team trade with the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks.
Hill will always have love for his former team, the Pacers. He’s from Indianapolis, and his Instagram username is indianageorge3. Don’t ask him why, because he’ll get annoyed. He’s explained it many times. He’s very passionate about where he’s from and will never stop representing.
Georges Niang
Georges Niang is a current member of the Utah Jazz. He was drafted with the 50th overall pick by the Pacers in 2016. After an impressive Summer League, Niang earned an NBA contract from the Pacers. Larry Bird and Kevin Pritchard gushed about Niang’s craftiness and skill.
It was an uneventful rookie season in Indiana for Niang, playing in just 23 games. Then, he suffered an unfortunate knee injury during the 2017 Summer League, which sealed his fate as a member of the team. He was later waived.
Niang latched on with the Jazz on a two-way Contract last season, and is now on an NBA contract with the team heading into his third year.
Trevor Booker
One of the fan favorites of Utah, Trevor Booker played his heart out in all 3,196 minutes he played as a member of the Jazz. He always plays with passion, grit and toughness. He played two seasons with the Jazz, and was rumored to potentially return when he became a free agent this summer. Unfortunately, he’s now playing in China.
Booker played for the Pacers last season, though. It was his third team he played for during that season alone. Through 17 games, Booker provided the Pacers with a solid backup four. He averaged about five points and five rebounds per game.
Al Jefferson
Like Booker, Big Al Jefferson is now playing in China. Prior to that, though, he had stints with both Utah and Indiana. Some of Al’s best years came in Utah. He spent three years with them, and averaged nearly 19 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Jefferson took on a much different role with the Pacers. He was a reserve, and even out of the rotation often. He spent the last two years in Indiana. Despite not playing as big of a role, Jefferson was extremely important to the team due to his veteran leadership. In fact, Kevin Pritchard said Al may have been the Pacers’ most important player last season.
C.J. Miles
C.J. Miles was just a kid when the Utah Jazz drafted him back in 2005. It’s hard to believe Miles has been around that long. He’s now just completed his 13th season in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors. Miles has played for four different teams, with Utah and Indiana being the two that he suited up the most for.
His time in Indiana was the best of his career performance wise. He had a great opportunity from opening night of 2014, when Paul George was injured. With the Jazz, Miles developed into a solid role player who averaged 8.4 points per game. Miles always says that Utah is where he grew up, where he became a man. He’s right.