The Utah Jazz finally got a few players on the court in their last outing against the Los Angeles Clippers. Not only did Kenneth Lofton, the very popular, fringe player from the G-League finally get a chance to play, but so did Darius Bazley. Bazley is a soon-to-be-24-year-old, who has been in the league for five seasons now.
The former first-round pick was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019 and has bounced around the league since then. He came over to Utah in March after he was released by the Philadelphia 76ers organization, later signing a deal with the Utah Jazz.
Bazley isn't a great player, nor has he really shown any unique talent or ability that makes you think he could be great. He's a fine player, but one that has a low ceiling and an even lower floor. Still, the Jazz picked him up because they're tanking and they probably thought "Why not see what he can do?"
And in his first game, he did alright. At least shooting the ball. He shot 4-8 from the floor, while scoring 12 points, pulling down six rebounds, and having an impressive three steals and a block. Not usually regarded as a defensive dynamo, Bazley showed up against an LA Clippers team that handled the Jazz.
If Bazley can show more of this defensive acumen, getting steals, blocks, and such, to close out the season, then maybe, just maybe there'd be a place for him on the team. At least in camp. Yet, in season five, we know what he is, and the odds that he's going to turn into some defensive stopper aren't likely. What's more likely is this one solid game, which we all agree was a solid game, will likely be an outlier in a very forgettable stopover in Salt Lake City for Bazley.