The Utah Jazz have brought back big man Oscar Tshiebwe on another two-way contract after spending last season with the Salt Lake City Stars in the G League. Tshiebwe was one of the best rebounders in the G League last season and has been since his time with the Indiana Pacers, most of which he spent with the Noblesville Boom (then known as the Indiana Mad Ants).
Last season, Tshiebwe appeared in 42 games for the Stars, playing 31.0 minutes per contest. He averaged 16.0 points, 18.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks while shooting 57.5% from the floor.
Now, he’ll be back in Salt Lake hoping to continue his development.
How can Oscar Tshiebwe help the Jazz?
Tshiebwe is still only 25 years old, meaning he has plenty of time to improve. Having him on board gives the Jazz a fun big-man piece for them to work on as they continue with their rebuild.
At just 6-foot-8, Tshiebwe is very undersized for the center position. Guys like Al Horford and Robert Williams have found a way to overcome their size, but they’re elite on the defensive end. Tshiebwe is solid, but he has a lot of work to do if he wants to get to that point.
Taking a look at the current scope of the Jazz’s roster, they have some solid depth at the center position. With Walker Kessler and Kyle Filipowski, they have a clear outline of what their five-man position will look like.
Yet, with the uncertainty surrounding Kevin Love and Jusuf Nurkic’s spots on the roster, there could be some minutes opening up in that spot sooner rather than later.
There’s no guarantee Tshiebwe gets opportunities with the big club next season. Last year, while on a two-way contract, he only played in 14 games for the Jazz, playing 18.2 minutes per contest. He averaged 7.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 0.9 steals while shooting 60.0% from the field.
In the limited minutes he earned, Tschiebwe was solid, but there isn’t a big enough sample size to prove that he can play consistently at the NBA level. But he’s earned a chance.
And while the Jazz will certainly prioritize the development of Kessler and, perhaps most importantly, Filipowski, they could make some room for Tshiebwe to get some burn.
If he proves himself in those minutes, then he could turn into much more than just a two-way contract for the Jazz. And in today’s NBA, when the CBA is as restrictive as ever, finding quality players on cheap contracts is crucial.