Utah Might Have a Dark Horse or Two
Juzang, Fall, and Cockburn are all household names. They either made a name for themselves in college or as fan favorites. The rest of the roster might not be familiar to casual fans. In my humble opinion, Xavier Sneed and Jared Butler are the most likely to break out this summer, and a strong showing against the Thunder would be a good first step.
Both have some NBA experience. Sneed has appeared in nine games for two teams and Butler played 42 games for Utah last season. Neither have enough experience to make definitive statements about their careers thus far. Sneed only played 39 minutes total and barely got to shoot, and Butler, despite a stellar career at Baylor, was buried on the roster behind better guards.
If Butler can show the organization that he is the elite shooter he was in college, I would expect this summer to be a real launching pad for his NBA career. He is not a bad defender by any means, so stepping up his shooting this summer could really unlock his game and take him to the next level.
Xavier Sneed is even more of a dark horse pick because of his limited experience. After bouncing around the league as a rookie, Utah offered him a two-way contract. While he never really got an opportunity with the Jazz, he was really good on the Salt Lake Stars.
Sneed averaged 15 points a game in the G-League, as well as just under three assists and six rebounds, which are all very good for his size and position. He is an adequate defender at that level, so if he steps it up in the first game there’s no reason to think he can’t fill the gap left by Royce O’Neale.
One game is not enough to make any definitive statements, but it could indicate if the Jazz are in good hands moving forwards. With questions still lingering about the direction and state of the team, the first game of the summer may offer some clues.