Utah Jazz rank 2018-19: Naz Mitrou-Long scores No. 17 spot

Following a year spent in the Utah Jazz system, Naz Mitrou-Long looks to take his game to the next level and solidify his spot in the NBA.

Naz Mitrou-Long‘s two-way deal with the Utah Jazz last season didn’t result in a lot of floor time in the Association. When all was said and done, he had only seen 31 seconds of action with the Jazz. It was about the most productive 31-second NBA debut a player could have.

Long hit his only shot attempt (a 3-pointer, no less) and, as a result, is now averaging a cool 108 points per 36 minutes for his short career. However, the former Iowa State Cyclone — and No. 17 on our 2018-19 Jazz rank countdown — isn’t content with being a statistical anomaly. He’s looking to stick at the highest level of hoopdom.

To that end, his big debut also provided him with a source of motivation; the scar across his left eye. Seconds after knocking down the aforementioned triple, he got nailed in the face by former Jazzman Trey Lyles. Long later said that the scar left by the incident now serves as a reminder of the task at hand.

From the Des Moines Register—

"“I’m not trying to be corny or cliché or anything like that, but it’s actually real when I see it,” Mitrou-Long said. “It’s just that motivation to get back out there because that feeling I had when I was on the court, it was like, ‘All right, I’m really living my dreams right now.’ It’s just a sign to remember to never stop working and do whatever I can to get back there.”"

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If his summer league performance was any indication, he may be well on his way. Over five games, he put up 10 points, four assists and four boards per contest. Along the way, he knocked down 59 percent of his shots from the field and 36 percent from deep.

Long also put up numbers for Utah’s G-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, last season. He logged an 18-6-5 line for the Stars and hit on 38 percent of his 3-pointers. There’s scoring ability and an all-around game there; he’s clearly benefited from his year in the Jazz system.

As a result, I wouldn’t anticipate another 31-second season. That said, his pathway to playing time definitely didn’t get any easier over the summer. Especially after the team invested a first-round pick and guaranteed money in Grayson Allen, who has a bulldog mentality and can be a lead ball-handler off the bench.

Still, Long continues to develop under the watchful eyes of Jazz brass and could be on the cusp of holding down an NBA job for the long haul. It may just be a matter of opportunity.