Utah Jazz rank ’18-19: Ekpe Udoh lands at the No. 12 spot

He may not be a big-time scorer, but Utah Jazz center Ekpe Udoh provides a world-class defensive presence off the bench.

When the Utah Jazz inked lottery bust turned EuroLeague Final Four MVP Ekpe Udoh last year, no one really knew what to expect from the big man. Would he be the guy that some would say washed out of the NBA in 2015 or “one of the best defenders in the world,” as he anointed  himself during the 2017 preseason?

Turns out the former No. 6 overall pick — and the 12th-ranked player in our Jazz preseason player rankings this year — knew the score all along.

Although Udoh wasn’t always a consistent part of Jazz coach Quin Snyder’s rotation last season, he was a defensive force when he did find his way onto the court. His per game averages didn’t set the basketball world ablaze; he averaged just 2.6 points and 2.4 baords over 63 game. But if you look a bit harder, the numbers prove his value.

Udoh’s stats per 36 minutes really underscore his defensive prowess. By that measure, he averaged 3.3 blocks and 1.9 steals. His low usage precluded him from the league leader boards, but his block rate (7.7 percent) and defensive box plus/minus score (6.8) both outpaced the qualified league leaders.

The 31-year-old did rank seventh in the Association in defensive real plus/minus, however, at 3.66.

His efforts often came in small doses, but they were on full display on January 10 against the Washington Wizards. With Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors both ailing, Udoh started that game and dropped 16 points, hitting 7-of-10 shots, and added nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks. The Jazz won the game 107-104.

That box score may have been an outlier, but the effort certainly wasn’t.

Entering the 2018-19 campaign, I would expect Udoh to fill a role similar to the one he had last season. Snyder will go to him for a match-up advantage, mop-up duty or as a stand-in when the injury bug bites. And that’s OK — good teams need players like Udoh who can perform under those difficult circumstances.

Whether you consider him a 12th man, a third center or a fifth big, Udoh remains a player who will give you a strong effort and a stronger defensive presence. So while he may be No. 12 in this countdown, that’s 12 with several basketballs swatted into the stands and an awesome book club to boot.

That’s not too shabby, if you ask me.