Darryn Peterson was touted as a golden prospect for the Utah Jazz, and yet his NBA career has started a bit rocky. It's already hard enough to see his fellow 2026 draftees outshine him to start, but what's even harder is that Will Hardy is executing a rather unorthodox strategy with Peterson.
He's starting games for sure, but the Jazz have already had two overtime games this season, and Hardy kept Peterson on the bench for both overtime sessions (which led to Jazz losses). This is taking everyone by surprise, as it seems as though Peterson is too good for Utah not to play him in games that can affect the Jazz's standing down the line.
It's definitely a divisive strategy, but Jazz fans must remember that Jerry Sloan did something similar with Deron Williams. He too joined the Jazz as a high lottery pick, but Sloan made it clear that didn't automatically mean he would was the automatic starter.
In an exclusive 2020 interview on the Knuckleheads podcast, Williams explained that Sloan had him play only the second and fourth quarters in his rookie season. He did that to make it clear that if Williams wanted the starting job, it would have to be earned.
Hardy's not doing the exact same thing with Peterson, but it is a striking parallel. Despite Peterson's talent, that doesn't automatically equate to winning basketball. Because Hardy wants a winning basketball unit on the floor, Peterson won't be involved in overtime sessions until he proves he can be part of that.
It paid off for Williams for a time
A year after Sloan's rather odd strategy with D-Will, the Jazz made their first Conference Finals appearance since the Karl Malone-John Stockton era, with much of the credit going to Williams' ascension. Unfortunately, that didn't ease the contempt he and Sloan gradually developed for each other, which led to both leaving the franchise in 2011, but Sloan's approach worked.
Hardy's approach will certainly raise questions about him as a coach, about Peterson as a player, and about how Hardy is developing him. It's hard to accept Hardy's strategy because, now, the Jazz are 1-7 in a season when they had no intention to tank.
But situations like these take time. We're going to see how well Peterson handles this. His transition into the NBA has not been as smooth as many thought it would be. We're going to see if Hardy's handling of his minutes will level him up or break him down.
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