The 2026 Salt Lake City Summer League is underway, and the Utah Jazz kicked things off with their #2 pick, Darryn Peterson, leading the way. Utah defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 103-102, in overtime.
Peterson had some highlight moments, including a chase down block in the first half, and even had some nice passes here and there. His best plays were definitely what he is known for - scoring the ball.
Whether from distance, mid-range, or at the rim, Peterson delivered in his debut for Utah, to the tune of 28 points, even showing off a James Harden-like stepback on several occasions.
One negative in Darryn's debut was turnovers, as he had EIGHT of them on the afternoon, some unforced. And while Peterson can handle it well enough to be a part-time distributor, this was a concerning issue that makes it obvious which position he is best suited for with the Jazz.
Peterson's game reminds us of another NBA legend
With his stellar debut, Darryn Peterson already looks like another NBA legend who had a shaky handle early on. And DP gets an NBA legend as a mentor: Jazz minority owner Dwyane Wade.
As a young player, Wade had a knack for scoring as well, going from 16.4 points a night as a rookie point guard to 24.1 in his second season when Miami smartly moved him to the off-guard spot to unlock his full potential.
Peterson already has a better three-point shot than Wade did, and the Jazz would be wise to put the six-foot-five DP in the right spot from the get-go.
Some might argue this limits Peterson's ceiling. However, he will definitely handle the ball in the Jazz offense - last year's rotations had plenty of Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier playing together and playing well off of each other, and DP will thrive in this type of backcourt.
Putting Darrryn Peterson in a similar role next to Keyonte George as the primary ballhandler should help to unlock his potential early, as point guard is the toughest position for rookies to learn.
And Peterson will have no problem in a scoring role - his season at Kansas had that on full display. With All-NBA talent on the Jazz roster in Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., along with Keyonte George, DP won't have to score 20 every night, but it will be welcome when he does. And we're all excited about how he will do this season!
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