Darryn Peterson won't be the primary factor in how the Utah Jazz do this season, but he may very well be the X-Factor in how much they'll succeed. Sure, he's a rookie, but he's a No. 2 pick in what was hyped to be a loaded draft class who is expected to be Keyonte George's backcourt partner-in-crime.
It's fair to say that the last time a Jazz rookie was that big of a deal coming into his first NBA season was Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell didn't enter the NBA expected to mount to much in Utah, but following Gordon Hayward's turbulent exit, the Jazz were scrambling for options, so the team was more than open to seeing what Mitchell was made of, even if not much was expected.
We all know what happened next. The Jazz became one of the NBA's surprise teams with much of that being thanks to Mitchell having one of the best rookie seasons in Jazz history. Utah won't ask Peterson to do as much as they asked Mitchell, but that doesn't mean he won't be important to their success this coming season.
Peterson could be a massive game-changer
Again, even if the Jazz plan to throw Peterson to the wolves to some degree, it's not like how they fare this season will depend entirely on him. However, what Peterson shows his rookie year could factor into how good the Jazz will be as a team.
Peterson's talent is unquestioned, but perhaps what stands out most about him is how poised he is as a rookie. He knows exactly where to go and how to exploit mismatches. Having that as the tertiary piece of a playoff team, even as a rookie, could be a massive boost. Opponents will want to neutralize the likes of George, Lauri Markkanen, and Jaren Jackson Jr., but by extension, that also allows Peterson to potentially exploit mismatches again and again until they realize they have to take him seriously too.
That's why his name should be put in the same conversation as Mitchell in terms of impactful rookies. He won't have to be their offensive engine like Mitchell was from pretty much Day 1, but he could be the difference between "Yay, the Jazz made the playoffs!" and "Wow, the Thunder and Spurs hate facing the Jazz!"
For what it's worth, even if Utah won't depend on Peterson like they will George or Markkanen from the jump this season, the expectation for him long-term is that he could be the face of the franchise if all goes right this season. The first step towards him being that franchise icon is him being that difference-maker on what could be the Jazz's first playoff team since 2022.
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