The Utah Jazz won't count on Darryn Peterson the same way they will count on the lieks of Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Keyonte George. However, there's still been plenty of hype around the Jazz's golden prospect and for good reason.
Everyone knew the Jazz getting him was a big deal, and the excitement only continues to grow. Mo Bamba did this when he compared Peterson to Kawhi Leonard during Jazz Media Day.
"I see a lot of Kawhi in him. Just quiet, bucket-getter, mid-range. It's obviously two very different positions, but I see a lot of Kawhi."
Bamba later said that in a conversation with Jusuf Nurkic, the latter compared Peterson to Damian Lillard, another NBA player who coincidentally has strong ties to Utah. Given their respective positions, it make more sense, but it goes without saying that Utah will gladly take a player who played at the caliber of Kawhi Leonard. Especially in the long-term.
Leonard won two championships, made legitimate campaigns for Most Valuable Player, made plenty of All-NBA teams, plenty of All-Star teams, and was such a valuable player at his peak that the Clippers made what could go down as the worst trade in NBA history just to get their hands on him.
If Peterson reaches that level, a championship isn't just on the table. A dynasty is.
Peterson doesn't have to follow Leonard's path to reach his level
Anyone who remembers Leonard's ascent into a two-way superstar knows it didn't come overnight. Leonard was a late lottery pick that San Antonio went out of their way to acquire for future Jazzman George Hill back in 2011.
Leonard proved he was a contributor from Day 1, but it took until Year 3 for him to prove that he was something special, and even then, he didn't become that special player in full until Year 5 (because he was injured for a lot of Year 4).
Peterson has more expectations now than Leonard did when he first joined the NBA. It's very possible he may carve out a legacy much similar to Leonard's, though he may not follow the exact same blueprint. Leonard's calling card was his airtight defense before his offense came around. Peterson may be the opposite.
Lucky for Peterson, he's playing for a team expected to compete from the very start like Leonard was, so he'll be given ample opportunities to prove he was the right pick for the Jazz this season and going forward. If Bamba's words on Peterson being the next Kawhi prove to be prophetic, this era has the potential to be even better than the one heralded by Karl Malone and John Stockton.
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