The Utah Jazz wrapped up their second Summer League outing with some key standouts.
The Utah Jazz faithful got to see an exciting game on Monday night, as the Jazz got one over on the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-96. It was the second game of the Jazz’s Las Vegas Summer League season, bringing their record to 2-0. While it’s great to see the Jazz win, the Summer League isn’t about wins or losses but about getting guys the opportunity to play feature roles.
The hope is that these become showcase outings for players under contract, giving the coaching staff some idea of what to expect from them. For others who remain unsigned beyond the summer, it’s about showing what you can provide for a team, with the idea of getting a long-term deal at some point.
So while the win is great, it’s the performances from some of the young players that should make you most excited.
1. Keyonte George
The Jazz have four young players who had the eyes of the fandom on them heading into Summer League: Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Brice Sensabaugh, and Ochai Agbaji. For Game 2 of the Vegas league, only George played, and boy, did he. George scored 26 points on pretty good shooting from the floor, going 9-15 on the day while hitting 50% of his three-point shots (5-10). He also had seven assists on the night and a whopping +25 BPM. However, George struggled at the free-throw line, going just 3-7 on freebies.
2. Johnny Juzang
While we wait to see guys like Hendricks and Sensabaugh, other players on the Summer League roster, like unrestricted free agent Johnny Juzang, get to shine. Juzang came off the bench and went 10-14 while hitting 4-5 from the free throw line, dropping 26 points, matching George for the game-high. If Juzang keeps having these outings, it’ll be hard for the Jazz or another NBA team to pass up on him.
3. Luka Samanic
Of all the players with something to prove on the Utah Jazz’s Summer League roster, none has more to prove than Luka Samanic. A former first-round pick by the San Antonio Spurs, Samanic has largely been unimpressive as an NBA pro. Now in his fourth year, Samanic went on and had a solid second Vegas Summer League game, going 6-12 from the floor with 15 points, eight rebounds, and a BPM of +17.
For Samanic to succeed in the league and get minutes to come the regular season, he’s going to have to work on his three-point shot, as he hit just 1-5 on the night. He did shoot 36% for the squad during the Salt Lake City Summer League, so he’s capable of better outings.