Utah Jazz: 3 candidates to make biggest leap next season

Candidate to make the biggest leap for the Utah Jazz: Miye Oni

Having been the 58th overall pick in the NBA Draft, expectations were low when Miye Oni came to the Utah Jazz in 2019. However, now that the 23-year-old out of Yale will be entering his third year, he is going to need to start producing if head coach Quin Snyder is to continue giving him minutes in big games, as he did in five of the team’s playoff games against the Clippers.

Oni shot 34.1 percent from three this season. While that number is not alarming, it does become more worrisome when you look at the shots that he’s taking. According to NBA.com, 86.9 percent of his 3-point attempts came when the closest defender was four or more feet away from him.

For the Jazz to rely on Oni, he simply must knock down open looks.

At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, he has the physical tools to be a great defender. Oni’s defense coupled with an improved 3-point shot could turn him into the perfect three-and-D player to spell Royce O’Neale, who usually takes on the toughest defensive assignments.