Utah Jazz: The 50 greatest players in franchise history
By Matt Giles
All-time greatest Utah Jazz players: No. 30 Greg Ostertag
- Seasons with the franchise: 10 (1995-96 to 2003-04, 2005-06)
- Regular-season games played: 700
- Averages as a Jazzman: 4.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.3 steals, 1.8 blocks
- Shooting percentages: 48.7 from the field, 57.5 from the foul line
- Playoff games with Utah: 87
- Postseason averages: 4.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.3 steals, 1.9 blocks
Tag. The Big O.
No, this is not a joke, even though NBA fans seemed to thoroughly enjoy poking fun at the big man during his playing days.
Yes, although the 7-foot-2, 280-pound center never averaged more than eight points per game, Greg Ostertag did serve as a solid defender down low for the only two Utah Jazz teams in history to reach the NBA Finals.
Ostertag’s defensive rating twice ranked among the top 10 in the league, and so did his total rebound percentage. In fact, back in his 1999-00 campaign, the former No. 28 overall selection out of Kansas from the 1995 NBA Draft finished No. 1 in the NBA in block percentage (8.2).
Now, factoring in his longevity as a Jazzman and decent durability given his sheer size, it’s worth repeating: this is not a joke.