Utah Jazz: Does this player have a future with the team?
Yesterday, the Utah Jazz exercised their third-year team option on sophomore big man Udoka Azubuike. Evidently, General Manager Justin Zanik envisions at least one more season with the club for the native Nigerian. Does he have a future in Salt Lake City beyond 2022-23?
When the Jazz selected Azubuike with the 27th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, it was apparent that he was a project. A physical marvel at 6’10 and 280 pounds, Azubuike’s ceiling is as high as his floor is low. Will a veteran, contending team like the Utah Jazz ever give him a real opportunity to make mistakes?
“Last year, we drafted him and four days later, he shows up to camp and we’re telling him, ‘you’re not going to get any reps in the regular season No. 1, because of the goals we have as a veteran team and No. 2, nobody in college plays like us” Zanik told the Salt Lake City Tribune
Utah Jazz center Udoka Azubuike: If not now, then when?
All of which is entirely fair. Evidently, Zanik felt the same way about Azubuike heading into the 2021-22 season. He signed veteran Hassan Whiteside to soak up backup center minutes following the forced departure of franchise mainstay Derrick Favors.
Utah Jazz fans who’ve become invested in Azubuike as a concept will have to be patient in waiting to see him in execution. His potential fit with the club is obvious. Quin Snyder has established a clear interest in leaning on traditional big men for the majority of every game. Azubuike may be one of the most physically imposing men in the entire NBA.
Utah Jazz center Udoka Azubuike may not be human
It isn’t simply that Azubuike is 6’10 and 280 pounds. He also set an NBA Draft Combine record for a center with a 37-inch vertical leap. That combination of mass and vertical isn’t just rare, it’s unprecedented.
Unfortunately, Azubuike has substantial limitations at this stage of his career. Unsurprisingly, mobility is a major concern for the sophomore big man. He’s slow to move his feet, and as high as he’s able to jump, he’s equally slow to get off the ground.
He also struggles with stamina, which is an issue that is characteristic of the NBA’s most imposing giants. As a result, the Utah Jazz prospect often finds himself in foul trouble, committing 5.7 of them per 36 minutes in his 2020-21 rookie season.
No combination of sheer size and vertical leap can keep a player on the floor if they’ve fouled out.
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Ultimately, the team’s decision to exercise their third-year option on Azubuike means that they’re still taking his future into consideration. Notably, Hassan Whiteside is only on a one-year deal. By 2022-23, it’s quite likely that Udoka Azubuike will either be a primary backup for the Utah Jazz, or suiting up somewhere else entirely.