Ever since the Utah Jazz got the No. 2 pick, there has been much discussion on who they should take. The prevailing narrative is that with the Washington Wizards getting the No. 1 pick, AJ Dybantsa will be off the table, but it's not a sure thing. More than that, it's not entirely clear where Utah's going to pick.
No matter who they decide, whether its Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, or Caleb Wilson, Jazz fans should feel very confident about who they take because Danny Ainge has hit bullseyes with his high draft picks.
Since transitioning to a front office role in 2003, Ainge has been awarded only a few high lottery picks, but he's made the most of it. In Boston, he drafted Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum, all of whom helped Boston's consistent playoff success in the 2010s and 2020s.
Ainge's draft success has only continued with the Jazz
It's funny to look at how many young players Utah has drafted since 2023, and it's hard to pinpoint who has been among their biggest busts. Taylor Hendricks didn't pan out too great, but that's not really his fault, as his freak leg injury got in his way. More importantly, since being traded to Memphis, he looks like he should be a major factor in their future.
Cody Williams looked pretty unimpressive his rookie year, but he turned that all-around towards the latter half of his sophomore year. Besides them, their track record is Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, Kyle Filipowski, and Isaiah Collier. Given where they were picked, Ainge has done pretty
Oh, and don't worry, Jazz fans. We didn't forget about Ace Bailey and for good reason. You know how it's been brought up that Utah hasn't had the best lottery luck (until yesterday), and last year was good proof of that?
Well, Bailey has basically erased all of that because of how impressive he was in his rookie year. Being the highest Jazz pick since Dante Exum, Bailey has proven he is a centerpiece in the making, which only adds to Ainge's history of nailing the picks he has been given.
For that reason, Jazz fans should be pretty confident in who they take with the No. 2 pick. The funny thing is, this was already a loaded draft class, so regardless of Ainge's history, it's hard to find a way of how this could go wrong.
Currently, it's believed that Darryn Peterson will be the Jazz's pick, though we have several weeks before that becomes official. Utah may go for the surprise pick, which is something Ainge has done before (see Tatum, Jayson), but regardless of whether they do or don't, Ainge has got an undeniable eye for talent.
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