How many Utah Jazz newbies rank ahead of the probable deep returning cast?
The Salt Lake City Summer League showcased two particularly encouraging expected Utah Jazz returnees in young floor general Trent Forrest and big man Udoka Azubuike. And this came the week after the franchise pulled off the potential steal of the 2021 NBA Draft by landing the top scorer from the reigning NCAA champs in Baylor guard Jared Butler.
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Plus, depending on injuries and how the bottom of the roster shakes out, significant playing time could find Miye Oni, Elijah Hughes, Jarrell Brantley, etc.
But don’t count on Quin Snyder employing more than 10 players in any given outing. No, recent history says the eighth-year Jazz head honcho may truly trust in only eight or nine guys from one game to the next.
Still, the offseason moves thus far suggest the front office and coaching staff foresee double-digit regular contributors. So let’s examine the presumed primary weapons, one at a time, ranking them by their projected playing time during standard 48-minute close contests next season.
10. Utah Jazz center Hassan Whiteside
If Hassan Whiteside rediscovers his Miami Heat form, then the shot-callers in Salt Lake City will indeed have a tough time keeping him on the bench for extended stretches. Nevertheless, it seems somewhat unreasonable to expect anything close to a double-double average from the relatively nimble 7-foot, 265-pound big man in his first season with the Utah Jazz.
However, since Utah traded Derrick Favors to the Oklahoma City Thunder last week before signing Whiteside to a one-year veteran minimum deal in free agency, the 32-year-old North Carolina native looks to be the primary backup to Rudy Gobert at the five-spot.
Judging from Udoka Azubuike’s Salt Lake City Summer League prowess, though, the former first-round pick might stake a claim to some minutes in the post. In other words, Azubuike may occasionally take playing time from Whiteside should the 6-foot-10, 280-pound 21-year-old manage to maintain the required endurance to keep up with the fast-paced Jazz attack.
Furthermore, the recently acquired Rudy Gay and Eric Paschall might together provide Utah with a couple of ways to implement more small-ball lineups, thereby dinging Whiteside’s minutes as well.
Projected playing time for Hassan Whiteside: 11 minutes per game
9. Utah Jazz forward Eric Paschall
Giving up only a future second-round draft pick, the Utah Jazz snagged the 24-year-old Eric Paschall from the Golden State Warriors last week.
Now, there’s no doubt the 6-foot-6, 255-pound junkyard dog is a promising dirty-work specialist who should expand his game this season while learning a thing or two from do-anything veteran forward Royce O’Neale. Most importantly, Paschall offers the Jazz what they have been sorely lacking in and around the low block as of late: bruiser-like muscle.
He’s a former 2018 national champion with Villanova and the 41st overall selection from the 2019 NBA Draft. Then Paschall wound up on the 2019-20 NBA All-Rookie Team after averaging 14.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 49.7 percent from the field.
Yet his numbers significantly dipped across the board as a Warriors sophomore with question marks popping up about his defense. On the other hand, Paschall did excel on occasion at the five-spot in smaller lineups.
Finally, as a native New Yorker and longtime friend of Jazz sensation Donovan Mitchell, Paschall might be in line for some preferential treatment in the playing time department.
Projected playing time for Eric Paschall: 12 minutes per game
8. Utah Jazz guard Joe Ingles
Fans pretty much already know what to expect from eighth-year Utah Jazz gem Joe Ingles. First and foremost, the 6-foot-8, 220-pound lefty is sure to splash from downtown. After all, he set a career-high last go-round and wound up No. 5 in the NBA with his 45.1 shooting percentage beyond the arc.
Also, as a fill-in point guard, Ingles has twice finished among the top 20 in the league in total assists, showing time and again that his strategic handles and zip-line passes outweigh his minimal athleticism as a creator.
At the other end of the floor, though, Ingles has often been a liability. And the 33-year-old “Slow-Mo Joe” isn’t likely to magically boost his speed, hops, or general know-how as a defender.
Now, with plenty of promising options at their disposal in the backcourt, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Quin Snyder and his gang turn to Ingles a bit less often than in years past. Perhaps a noticeable decrease in minutes — he’s averaged 27 or more across the past four seasons — would keep Ingles from playing with jelly limbs on defense.
But Ingles is a veteran treasure in Salt Lake City, a smooth scorer who can quickly calm a storm with a few flicks of the wrist from deep in combination with his miraculous nifty scoops in the lane.
All in all, even if Ingles’ on-court contributions start to decrease a smidge as a Jazz elder, the recent Aussie bronze medalist ought to be an immense help in molding his up-and-comer understudies.
Projected playing time for Joe Ingles: 21 minutes per game
7. Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gay
Of all the Utah Jazz moves this month, the addition of Rudy Gay in free agency via a multi-year deal should generate the most noticeable stir to the playing style in Salt Lake City.
Hands down, “The Great Rudini” is among the best NBA players in history to have never played in an All-Star Game.
As a former mid-lottery pick, who will turn 35 later this month, the versatile veteran out of UConn gives Quin Snyder a wealth of options when it comes to formulating lineups. At various points in his career, the 6-foot-8, 250-pounder has held his own and more at seemingly every position.
And Gay has averaged double-digits in all 15 seasons in the league — spanning four different franchises — although he’s known to dribble too much for some fans’ liking when seeking out his buckets.
Best of all, though, Gay was a teammate to Mike Conley for six and a half seasons (2006-13) with the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite the time apart and extra miles to their legs over the years, it’s easy to imagine lineups that rekindle the Conley-Gay connection early and often throughout the season.
Projected playing time for Rudy Gay: 22 minutes per game
6. Utah Jazz forward Royce O’Neale (projected starter)
If Eric Paschall and Rudy Gay exceed their somewhat measured expectations next season, then they could often threaten, in a friendly way, the playing time of Royce O’Neale. In fact, with all the new talent in town at or around his position, it seems doubtful that the fifth-year Utah Jazz blue-collar worker will match his 31.6 minutes per game from last season.
Yet let’s be fair to O’Neale for a second. While the 6-foot-4, 225-pound athletic small forward may not enjoy the same offensive pedigree as Gay or the same brute strength as Paschall, it’s important to note a few reasons he should earn more minutes per game than either of those Jazz newcomers:
- He’s now at what could be his peak age of 28.
- He has deep familiarity with the Jazz system after serving as a full-time starter the past two seasons.
- He has a selfless approach that Utah has come to count on, time and again, to set the tone or spark a momentum shift over the years.
Across his four seasons as a pro since going undrafted out of Baylor in 2015 and then spending a couple of years overseas, O’Neale has steadily increased his production in almost every department. He’s a testament to the franchise’s success in developing hungry prospects.
Maybe this go-round, he will further exhibit his growth by reaching or exceeding his career-high 7.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game from last season, even if he sees a minor minutes reduction.
Projected playing time for Royce O’Neale: 25 minutes per game
5. Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson
The reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year is likely to compete for the same award next season, which will be the 29-year-old’s third with the Utah Jazz. And there’s no reason to think Jordan Clarkson is anything but happy in Salt Lake City these days.
He’s had sufficient time to settle into his role and build chemistry with the other showmen in town. Last season, while lighting up defenses off the bench with a career-high 18.4 points per game, Clarkson repeatedly alluded to how much he is embracing the opportunity to attempt to get the franchise over the hump by whatever means necessary.
Sure, the “Flame Thrower” could use a touch more fire on the defensive end. Plus, as a high-volume shooter who only ever sees green lights in his mind when he’s on the floor, Clarkson’s cold nights can become a headache to watch due to the constant clanging sounds.
But Clarkson boasts a unique ability to come in and refire a stagnant Jazz offense. Therefore, one would think Quin Snyder will again consistently instruct the 6-foot-4 shooting guard to go in and be the bucket manufacturer that he has become in seven years as a pro.
Projected playing time for Jordan Clarkson: 27 minutes per game
4. Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic (projected starter)
Barring a trade or injury, Bojan Bogdanovic should be a reliable bucket-getter for the Utah Jazz again next season. That said, there’s no guarantee he’ll retain his starting job, considering the influx of weapons at his position.
However, although the 6-foot-7, 225-pound Croatian sensation is now 32 years old and possibly at the tail end of his prime, his efficiency from all areas still places him in the “underrated NBA forward” category. And “Bogey” has started in every game he’s played since his 2019 arrival in Utah.
Bogdanovic can carry a team on any given night — at least on the offensive end of the floor. Replay his 48-point outing, with an 8-for-11 clip from 3-point land, that powered the Jazz to an early-May win over the Denver Nuggets despite the absence of top guns Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley.
Expect Bogdanovic to continue serving as a primary scoring option. Still, his minutes may slightly decline.
Projected playing time for Bojan Bogdanovic: 28 minutes per game
3. Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley (projected starter)
The late-season hamstring issues of Mike Conley hampered the Utah Jazz’s chances of advancing deep into the 2021 NBA Playoffs. There’s no denying that.
To that point, it’s understandable if glass-half-empty fans openly suspect injuries will again limit the team’s 6-foot-1, 175-pound primary offensive conductor. Case in point: Conley missed 20-plus games in each of his first two seasons since coming to Utah from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Grayson Allen, Jae Crowder, Kyle Korver, Darius Bazley, and a first-round draft pick.
On the flip side, though, the glass-half-fullers would point out that the sharpshooting southpaw is fresh off the first All-Star campaign of his 14-year pro career. And without Conley entirely buying into the Jazz way of doing things, on his way to averaging 16.2 points, 6.0 assists, and 1.4 steals, it’s improbable the 2020-21 squad would have finished atop the standings at 52-20.
Review those numbers in combination with the fact Conley chose to stay in Salt Lake City with a new three-year discount deal in free agency. Plenty to like.
Now, folks can only hope that Conley has enough left in his tank to average the same number of minutes (roughly 29) as his past two seasons — and maybe even miss fewer games to boot. If not, then it’d be safe to say the regular rotation will ultimately have to include either Jared Butler, Trent Forrest, or perhaps a sprinkling of both.
But we’re glass-half-fulling the Conley outlook here.
Projected playing time for Mike Conley: 29 minutes per game
2. Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (projected starter)
A three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. A 2020-21 back-to-back All-Star alongside co-star Donovan Mitchell. A newly minted silver medalist with France at the Tokyo Olympics. Soon to be a ninth-year Utah Jazz player and a seventh-year full-time starter.
Other than maybe a few enhancements to his offensive skillset from facing top international competition this summer, Rudy Gobert is likely to be the same Rudy Gobert as last year.
That Gobert is all the Jazz need.
The 7-foot-1, 260-pound Frenchman has stayed relatively healthy for his size over the years, missing only a handful of games between the past three seasons. And while ill-informed onlookers blamed Gobert’s lack of perimeter defense on Utah’s latest postseason collapse, it’s not as if “The Stifle Tower” has looked overly gassed in the late stages of recent campaigns.
With all of that in mind, despite the addition of Hassan Whiteside to the roster and the expected growth of Udoka Azubuike, the assumption here is that Rudy Gobert will give the Jazz at least 30 minutes per game for the seventh straight year.
Projected playing time for Rudy Gobert: 30 minutes per game
1. Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (projected starter)
Because he wisely chose to recuperate and train rather than compete in the Tokyo Olympics this summer, Donovan Mitchell should be in tip-top shape when the 2021-22 Utah Jazz regular season tips off in mid-October.
Thus far, he’s never quite averaged 35 minutes per game in any of his four stellar seasons since somehow falling to No. 13 overall at the 2017 NBA Draft. But that should change next season, regardless of what looks to be a slightly improved supporting cast in Salt Lake City.
Mitchell is already the man in town — has been for years. At the same time, though, he’s still just a 24-year-old ultra-competitive kid who seems to enjoy further developing his bounce-driven game, 24/7/365. He’s relentlessly finding methods to out-jump, out-race, out-maneuver, out-shoot, and flat-out out-do the league’s handful of other rising superstars.
Already one of the premier all-time Jazz players, chances are “Spida” begins flirting with the top few spots on that list. Yes, Mitchell could climb to the highest ranks in Utah lore by cementing his name in the MVP conversation and then leading the franchise to its never-before-seen promised land with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in hand.
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Factor in the two-time All-Star’s offseason rest. Glance again at his unreal individual performances, with a bum ankle, in the 2021 NBA Playoffs; remember, he averaged 32.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while knocking down 43.5 percent of his 3-point attempts.
No doubt, Donovan Mitchell is about ready to reach the levels where only legends roam.
Projected playing time for Donovan Mitchell: 35 minutes per game