The back-end of the Utah Jazz roster is full of experiments

Some people say Quin Snyder looks like a mad scientist. Well, the scientist in him could come out when it comes to the back-end of the Utah Jazz roster.

The Utah Jazz have a deep, talented roster. It’s been good enough to place them in the 2nd seed in the brutal Western Conference. Beyond the typical rotation players, you have guys like Juwan Morgan, Jarrell Brantley, Nigel Williams-Goss, Miye Oni, Justin Wright-Foreman and Rayjon Tucker. They typically only play when the game’s outcome is no longer in question.

They’ve all gotten G-League experience and have improved daily. While the main focus is on the Utah Jazz winning an NBA Championship, it’s fun to monitor these guys and ponder their futures with the squad.

Let’s take a look at each of those players I mentioned, starting with Juwan Morgan.

Juwan Morgan

Juwan Morgan was undrafted out of Indiana University. He suited up for the Jazz in the Summer League and eventually earned himself a contract from the team. Utah waived Stanton Kidd to make it happen.

Morgan’s biggest strengths are his ability to play multiple positions and his motor. The guy just plays hard. He’s also shown a lot of improvement in his three-point shot. Morgan shot just under 30-percent from three during his collegiate career. He’s made 1 for the Jazz this season, and is shooting 54.5-percent from beyond the arc in the G-League.

Overall in the G-League, Morgan is averaging 16.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He’s also averaging a very impressive 2.1 steals and blocks per game. He’s been more-than-solid and has also managed to get into 10 games with the Jazz.

Morgan’s future with the Jazz will likely come down to what he does next summer. He signed a multi-year deal with the team, but it’s only partially guaranteed.

Jarrell Brantley

The Jazz acquired Brantley in the 2019 NBA Draft by trading a future second-round pick to the Indiana Pacers, who selected him 50th overall. After a very impressive Summer League, Brantley inked a two-way contract with the Jazz. Brantley has only played in a couple of games for the Jazz. Remember, as a two-way player, you can only spend 45 days maximum with an NBA team.

He’s been dominant in the G-League, though. He’s averaging 19.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He’s a do-it all forward. He’s very strong and built, but moves around so well for his size. He reminds me a lot of Solomon Hill, who is currently playing a key role for the playoff hopeful Memphis Grizzlies. Brantley has a chance to be a special defender and is a heck of an athlete.

Brantley played four years of college ball at the University of Charleston. I think he has as good of a chance as any of these guys to stick with the team beyond this year. The Jazz will have to sign him to an NBA contract, but they clearly like him. I think he’s an NBA player and I can see him playing a role for the Jazz as soon as next year.

Nigel Williams-Goss

The 55th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Nigel Williams-Goss was a standout for the Utah Jazz in the 2019 preseason. After playing overseas for a few years, the Jazz brought their draft pick over and signed him to a three-year contract.

He hasn’t done much for the Jazz this season, appearing in 9 games and shooting 14.3-percent from the field. However, we can’t discredit what he did in the preseason and what he’s done in the G-League. NWG is averaging 15.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in the G-League this season. He’s also shooting 50.6-percent from the field and 36.2-percent from three.

Williams-Goss has intriguing size at the point guard position. He’s 6’3″ and has a 6’7″ wingspan. If he can put together all of his tools, I think he can be an NBA player. Considering the Jazz paid $1 million to his former club to sign Williams-Goss, and considering he had offers from other NBA teams, you would think his spot on the team is secure beyond this season. I just wish we could see more from him on the court with the Jazz.

Rayjon Tucker

Rayjon Tucker has actually seen some rotational minutes for the Jazz since signing with the team following the surprising release of veteran Jeff Green. Prior to Mike Conley returning to the lineup, Tucker consistently saw first half action in games. He played solid defense and showed off some of the athletic ability we heard about when he signed here.

The biggest thing Tucker needs to work on is his shot. He’s shot 0-6 from three this season with the Jazz and missed some of them badly. He did shoot nearly 39-percent from three in the G-League with the Wisconsin Herd, though. The shooting potential is there.

Tucker will have a partially guaranteed salary next season. Like many of the others, he’ll need a big summer to solidify his spot with the team. However, I like his chances. He’s the only one of the listed players that have played rotation minutes this season. He’s definitely an intriguing player and one the Jazz should hold onto.

Miye Oni

Miye Oni was the only 2019 draft pick of the Utah Jazz that made the 15-man roster. The other two, Jarrell and Justin, signed two-way contracts. Despite being picked last among those three players, I personally had Oni much higher on my mock drafts.

Unfortunately, Oni has barely touched the floor for the Jazz. He’s only played in 3 games, accumulating 8 minutes. In those 8 minutes, all he’s done is grab a rebound and turn it over once. He’s buried in the depth chart and would need plenty of injuries to see the floor.

Oni has been assigned to the G-League by the Jazz 15 times this season. He’s struggled with his shot in the G-League, shooting just 38-percent from the field and 32.4-percent from three. He’s averaging 12.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

Oni signed a three-year contract with the Jazz, fully guaranteed this season. In 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, Oni’s deal is partially guaranteed. I may sound like a broken record, but a strong summer could solidify his spot with the team moving forward.

Justin Wright-Foreman

Justin Wright-Foreman has played in 1 game for the Jazz this season, failing to score in 4 minutes. He did record an assist and a block, though. As a two-way player, he’s primarily been in the G-League. He’s playing very well in the G-League, averaging 17.6 points per game on 41.8-percent shooting from deep.

He’s more of a scoring guard, shown by his 2.6 assists per game. Given the Jazz’s situation at point guard – with a 32-year old Mike Conley – I think Wright-Foreman is worth keeping around. He may not ever become a starting caliber player, but you never know.

The Jazz can focus on the present and the future. Developing these guys will be important. Georges Niang was in this situation prior to last season. Fast forward to the present, and Niang is a key contributor for the Jazz.

I’m anxious to see what the Jazz do with these players in the off-season. One thing’s for sure, no matter if they’re in Utah or somewhere else, they’ll continue to grind.