3 Young Utah Jazz players to watch down the stretch

The Jazz have some young talent on the roster that can be poised to show out in these next three games.

Utah will close out its regular season in these next three games against Denver, OKC, and the Lakers. Now is a perfect time to find out which players deeper on the roster could be a diamond in the rough. Younger players who haven’t had the most opportunity during this season can get it now in these final games and potentially find a longer-term future with the Jazz.

With a few key players currently dealing with an injury, this can provide an even better opportunity for players normally on the bench/reserves to get more playing time.

The Jazz have no shortage of young players either. Over half of the roster is 25 years old or younger. That makes an array of young players on the roster can showcase their talent in the coming days.

While there may not be a ton of wins forecasted for the next few games, the young talent this team has should provide for some entertaining basketball, along with a great opportunity for development late in the season.

Let’s take a look at three players on this Utah Jazz roster that should be getting more opportunities as the regular season begins to wrap up.

1. Talen Horton-Tucker

Since missing a few games at the start of February, Talen Horton-Tucker has been on an absolute tear. In the 24 games since returning, Horton-Tucker has averaged around 17 points per game, five rebounds per game, and six assists per game. A big jump from his previous average this season of seven points, two rebounds, and two assists.

Since March 29th, Horton-Tucker has also managed to put up four consecutive 20+ points games. With this recent surge, the Jazz need to continue to rely on Horton-Tucker’s recent production going forward.

The important part of playing Horton-Tucker really comes with the current status of his contract. Horton-Tucker is entering the offseason on a player option worth about $11 million. It’s an option he could easily look to decline based on his recent play.

These final few games can be a great help for the Jazz later in the summer to help indicate whether or not Horton-Tucker can be worth a long-term deal going forward.

If Talen continues to ball out in the final three games of the season, the Jazz could look at that late-season production and be potentially more inclined to pay him. Or, if he continues to play a bit streaky or inconsistent, could also help the Jazz in negotiations to lower his cost.

Regardless, Horton-Tucker is a player that needs to continue to be a focal point of the offense going forward.

2.  Johnny Juzang

Juzang is a player I’ve been super high on since coming out of UCLA. However, with him currently signed to a two-way deal, he’s only had a chance to play in 15 games so far this season. With the current state of the Jazz this late in the season, Juzang’s opportunities should absolutely increase.

Here’s a little bit about Juzang in case you didn’t know:

Juzang is a 22-year-old rookie small forward. He stands at 6’7, weighing in at 215 pounds. In 2019, Juzang was a highly touted recruit entering college, ranking 34th in the nation in his college class.

He was a three-year player in college, playing his first season at Kentucky, then transferring to UCLA in his sophomore season. Juzang really began to take off in his junior season, Juzang averaged 15.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Bruins.

Despite some solid play in two years at UCLA, as well as some memorable moments in March Madness, Juzang eventually went undrafted in the 2022 Draft. Despite this, the Jazz decided to sign Juzang to a two-way deal for this season.

In the 15 games Juzang’s played this season, he’s averaged 4.7 points and two rebounds per game on 34% shooting from the field. He may not be the most efficient, however, since he’s a rookie, we can give him a pass this time. He showed in college that he can put up solid efficiency when given more opportunity, shooting 43/36/83 splits in his junior season at UCLA.

If there was ever a time to give Juzang an increased role in the team, it should be now. With a season average of 12 minutes per game when he plays, coach Will Hardy needs to pump these numbers up to see what Juzang has to offer.

3. Udoka Azubuike

With the recent news of standout rookie center, Walker Kessler, being likely out for the rest of the season with a concussion, the Jazz will need a new center to start in his place. That player can be former Kansas Jayhawk, Udoka Azubuike.

While Kessler’s production will likely be tough to replicate, the Jazz would be wise to give Azubuike increased playing time to close the season. Azubuike is 23 years old and entering free agency this summer. Therefore, allowing Azubuike to prove his value to the front office could benefit both Udoka and Utah.

In 33 games this season, Azubuike has put up 2.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game on an incredible 81.5% shooting from the field. While these averages aren’t anything insane, Azubuike, like Kessler, is also known to be more impactful on the defensive side of the ball.

The Jazz decided to give Udoka the start at center in Tuesday’s game vs. the Lakers. In that game, he logged 20 minutes while putting up two points and five rebounds. Anthony Davis also shot 43% from the field in the contest.

Coincidence? I think not.

In short, as a result of the Kessler injury, Utah should continue to start Azubuike for the final three games of the season. In the Jazz’s current position in the league standings, the team should be doing all it can to give these young players opportunities.

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