Training camp is right around the corner for the Utah Jazz. Among the lingering questions concerning the Jazz will be who will start, who will come off the bench, and who may need some time before they get some NBA minutes.
The Jazz have plenty of young players whose best days are very much ahead of them. Because there will likely be some growing pains, they also have a couple of veterans who can take some rotation minutes while the youngsters develop.
With training camp (and preseason) on the horizon, multiple battles will likely ensue to determine how minutes will be divided.
1. Walker Kessler vs. John Collins
It's funny how Kessler and Collins are in the same boat in a way. Both are coming off rather disappointing campaigns, and there's a scenario where both could bounce back if they can find their groove again. Though the general feeling on them is quite different.
One of the ways in which either could do that is if they win the starting center position with the Jazz. Collins is the veteran who has shown he can be a valuable contributor on a winning team while Kessler was once considered one of the brightest young center in the NBA before his sophomore slump.
Since the Jazz are emphasizing their youth development, don't be surprised if Kessler gets the nod. Still, Collins may be motivated to prove he's not an albatross contract at all costs, which could also simultaneously set the bar for how well Kessler has to play to keep his starting spot.
The Jazz may also have to decide what is more important to them: advancing Kessler's development at all costs or getting rid of Collins the first chance they can get if he can improve his cratered trade value.
One possibility is starting Collins and Kessler beside Lauri Markkanen, but let's just that that trio has not gotten the Jazz good results. They appeared together in 27 games last season, and their net rating as a trio was minus-18.2, per NBA.com.
They could try that again, but even though the Jazz may aim for a high lottery pick, they may prefer to see what lineups work long-term and rolling out one that doesn't makes no sense.
2. Svi Mykhailiuk vs. Cody Williams
This is a rather interesting battle. The Jazz don't really have a small forward set in stone in their starting lineup unless they want to transition Markkanen to that spot. The Jazz may try to see what they have in Brice Sensabaugh in his second season, or they may try to do rookie vs. veteran with Mykhailiuk and Williams.
Williams will enter the season pretty well-regarded, even for a rookie. Not because of his potential as a scorer (yet) but because he's multi-faceted as a player. If he shows that he is NBA-ready from the start, the position is his, but let's not get too carried away since there's no proof. Don't be shocked if his biggest competition will be Svi Mykhailiuk.
Mykhailiuk is an NBA journeyman coming off an NBA title with the Celtics. He was more of an alternate who played only in case the Celtics were undermanned, but Mykhailuk was pretty good for them when they asked him to step up.
Pending any surprises, the Jazz will likely play Mykhailiuk a lot more than the Celtics did, and he will set the bar for how good Williams has to be to get minutes.
3. Patty Mills vs. Isaiah Collier
Mills is on the team because of his mentorship abilities, but much like Mykhailiuk, he sets the bar for young players like Colliers to attain. Collier impressed in the Summer League, and that could carry over when he plays his first NBA minutes. However, adding Mills means Collier has some obstacles in his way.
Despite his old age for an NBA player, Mills still has the abilties to space the floor and make the right play. Collier was also praised for being NBA ready. He may not have the same expectations that Williams does, but he might be ready to play now.
At the current time, Collier is not under pressure like Williams because the Jazz already have a plethora of guards ready to play, like Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson. However, he may have to grow up fast if the latter two are traded.
That may start with beating out Mills in training camp, and that's not a guarantee because even if Mills is old, he still has fundamentals.