New Utah Jazz center Omer Yurtseven reveals which ex-teammate was hardest to guard

Omer Yurtseven talks candidly about his time in the NBA before joining the Utah Jazz.

The Utah Jazz landed a much-needed addition to the frontcourt with the arrival of former Miami Heat center, Omer Yurtseven. He came in on a very manageable deal, and he may outplay that contract in short order depending on what the team decides to do with several key players on their roster. If someone like Kelly Olynyk gets traded, Yurtseven will likely see his minutes go up.

If that’s the case, and he’s fully healed from his 2022-2023 injuries, he may be an impactful player. A player that spent time with one of the best franchises in all of pro sports; the Miami Heat. So not only did he learn to play and practice the right way, but he comes in with a whole bunch of knowledge that he can share with the Utah Jazz. Not just in training and in-game nuances, but also in how to slow down his former team.

See, the Heat are gearing up to be a very hard team to beat during the 2023-2024 season. Whether that’s with a core of good, young players and the team’s star Jimmy Butler, or if it’s with Butler, Damian Lillard, and a cavalcade of G-Leaguers.

Getting someone who knows the Heat well will be a plus for the team, even if it’s just minor things like how to defend Butler. See, that’s something Yurtseven knows to well, as he’s on the record saying that, for him, Butler was the toughest player to guard.

Now, no one who watches basketball needs to be told that Butler is good at the sport. We all know he is. It’s kind of the thing he’s known for. That and those wild dreads he had last season. So it’s not like Yurtseven is some secret spy who can help the squad topple the Heat. That’s absurd.

That said, Yurtseven played against Butler a lot, and should the two teams clash in the NBA Finals, his experience with Butler won’t hurt to have.