Utah Jazz: 3 reasons why Royce O’Neale’s starting job should be permanent

No. 2: Another athletic body

One topic of discussion lately regarding the Utah Jazz is the lack of athleticism on the roster. During his show, Colin Cowherd played his famous 3-word game, saying that the Jazz “need another athlete.”

It’s a fair assessment, and something that the Jazz will simply have to work around. One of the better athletes on the team is Royce O’Neale. He’s more of a “3&D” player, but he can make things happen with his driving ability as well.

Over the past year, the Jazz have lost some elite athletes such as Grayson Allen, Dante Exum and Jeff Green.

I think having another live body like O’Neale opens some things up. He’s a guy that will hustle, dive on the floor for loose balls and put his body on the line. He’s super smart with his decision making, an active cutter and pushes the pace.

To be clear, I don’t think this is a major issue for the Jazz. You want the best athletes in the league, of course, but the Jazz have enough overall skill to get away with it.

O’Neale is a good fit in the starting lineup next to Rudy Gobert. He doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective, he can stretch the floor and explode to the basket when it’s open.