Utah Jazz: Grading Jarrell Brantley’s promising G-League season
Utah Jazz rookie forward Jarrell Brantley displayed a superior skill set in the G-League, often times looking like a legitimate NBA role player.
Players, fans and executives around the league are clinging to the little optimism that remains, hoping that the 2019-20 NBA season resumes. They don’t want to see the same outcome that saw the remainder of the 2019-20 G-League season get cancelled. It was a bitter ending for the Salt Lake City Stars, the G-League affiliate of the Utah Jazz.
The Stars, led mostly by Utah’s trio of second round picks in last summers NBA Draft, ended play with a 30-12 record, good for first in the Western Conference. They looked like a team that could go all the way and win a championship.
One of those draft picks stood out among the rest, though. Not just among the Stars roster, but among the entire league. That would be Jarrell Brantley, the former Indiana Pacers draftee who was traded to Utah on draft night.
Brantley made some huge fans among front offices during the pre-draft process, earning himself the 50th overall selection in the draft. The Jazz moved up in the draft to nab him, sending away a future second round pick and cash in the process. That should tell you how much the Jazz covet this guy.
Utah Jazz fans quickly changed from “who is this dude?” to “he’s going to be the next diamond in the rough” after getting their first look at him in Summer League. His raw upside and intriguing skill set caught the eye of many.
Brantley showcased a tight handle for a guy that is considered a power forward. He also moved very well, using his beefy frame to barrel into traffic for scoring opportunities. He’s an energetic defender, an above-average passer and an improving shooter.
Utah would then sign him to a Two-Way contract, which was probably the best decision. He wasn’t going to get many NBA minutes as a rookie on a team looking to contend for a championship, so letting him develop in the G-League was the way to go.
If you watched him in college at all, you already knew that this is stuff that Brantley has been doing. His early success in the G-League didn’t surprise me in the slightest bit.
In case you haven’t had many opportunities to check up on Brantley in the G-League, don’t worry, I’ve got you. Let’s take a look at the positive and negatives from Brantley’s rookie season in the G-League.