Takeaway #2: The Utah Jazz are (even) deeper than we think
When a team is faced with a sudden onslaught of injuries, they’re forced to dig deeper into their reserves. The Utah Jazz must like what they’ve found in that process.
While the team hasn’t been winning much, they’ve also been fielding lineups that nobody could expect to be consistently competitive. In the process, some of the players in those lineups have been showing the team exactly what they have to offer.
The most prominent example came on January 7 against the Toronto Raptors. Elijah Hughes (26 points, 8 rebounds), Jared Butler (17 points, 4 assists) and Eric Paschall (29 points) all delivered signature games.
That wasn’t the end of Paschall’s strong play. He contributed 18 points and 7 rebounds against the Cavaliers on January 12.
More recently, 10-day hardship signee Danuel House Jr has given the Utah Jazz reason to consider extending his tenure. He delivered 14 points and 7 rebounds against the Phoenix Suns on January 24. Butler chipped in 13 of his own in that contest.
Heading into this season, it would have been uncontroversial to say that the Jazz had the best 8-man rotation in the NBA. However, it’s a pleasant surprise to learn that they’ve got 10 or 11 high quality contributors on the roster.
If they could get them all healthy at the same time, this team might get back to winning some game. In the meantime, some of the less established Utah Jazz players are making the most of their opportunities.