The Utah Jazz will be thrilled just to get another high lottery pick this season, even if they don't win the lottery. If they were to wind up with the No. 5 pick, they wouldn't get a sure thing like AJ Dybantsa, but they would have the chance to get a prospect who possesses the same talent but also some question marks.
You know who fits that bill this year? Darryn Peterson. You know who fit that bill last year? Ace Bailey.
Peterson is one of the best prospect it's what been a highly regarded draft class, but questions have emerged about him. The same thing happened with Bailey, which didn't stop the Jazz from taking him, and look where that got both sides.
Yahoo Sports! Kevin O'Connor talked about this in his latest mock draft where he had Utah picking Peterson with the No. 5 pick.
"Between the cramping saga, the missed time, the lack of apparent athletic pop and the stretches where he played heavy minutes but struggled to produce offensively, there’s a lot to be concerned about. At some point, though, Peterson’s upside will be too much to pass up. In this mock, that’s the Jazz, who similarly weren’t afraid to take forward Ace Bailey with this same pick one year ago. And they are looking wise for doing so with Ace flashing star qualities in his own right."
O'Connor also added how Peterson would fit on a team like Utah.
"A team like the Jazz could ultimately be the best-case scenario for Peterson anyway: He’d join a roster full of high-level talent with Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Keyonte George. There wouldn’t be pressure on him to be the savior straight away. Much like Bailey, the only goal would be to grow."
There was pkenty of concern about Bailey when Utah took him, and while it didn't take long for him to dispel that, many were scared that he would refuse to play for Utah. The all-around success both sides have seen prove why the Jazz weren't scared to pick him and certainly shouldn't be if Peterson is available at No. 5.
Peterson would be BPA & would fit what Utah needs
Assuming Peterson would still be there at No. 5 (and assuming the Jazz get the No. 5 pick), he would likely be the most talented prospect still on the board and fits the need at guard the Jazz would have. Peterson likely wouldn't start, and Utah would bring him up slowly.
He might not initially get as much time in Utah as he would if he played for another team like Brooklyn or Washington, but we have seen stars gradually prove themselves over time, even if playing for a playoff team initially limited their playing time when they first entered the NBA, like Kawhi Leonard or Jaylen Brown.
Peterson wouldn't be thrown to the wolves, but his development could be much smoother as he's worked more and more into their rotation. More importantly, if that's who the Jazz took, no one would have a problem with it, in part because there were no problems and only advantages from swinging for the fences with a Peterson-like prospect in Bailey.