The Utah Jazz Summer League is over, and some players have shined while others have faded. Some of the athletes have already shown great promise and might be able to carve out a role for themselves. Most of them are potential G League players or undrafted prospects, with a dash of high-profile rookies or second-year players. All of them are fighting to outrun, shoot, pass, steal, or defend like anyone else around them. Contracts are up for grabs, or two-way deals bring opportunities of a lifetime. Here are a few who made the cut, giving the fans just what they wanted.
Summer League opportunities bringing soon-to-be-best
The Summer League roster for the Utah Jazz was a little different. They faced off and won against Dallas, Toronto, and Detroit, but fell short and suffered losses to the Clippers as well as Sacramento. In each of these games, some players turned it up and started out, but fans really saw this in Taylor Hendricks.
Taylor wasn’t too consistent on the court and had his ups and downs, showing his skills. There were games when you didn’t even know he was on the court, and then there were ones where he seemed to be the only one out there, like the one where the Utah Jazz faced off against the Toronto Raptors. He led the way with 23 points and went 9/10 from the field, while also adding nine rebounds.
Next, take a look at Isaiah Collier, who showed amazing speed and strength going after the ball. He was able to score and defend on the other end of the court. He showed tremendous heart but lacked the experience facing other players, who seemed to be more aware of the team awareness surrounding them. He did have his moments, such as when the Jazz faced off against the Mavericks. Isaiah added 12 points as well as seven assists.
Notable performances
It’s hard to look past other players like Kyle Filipowski, who seemed to fall into a rhythm that he only improved with each game. In the final game, the Utah Jazz defeated the Detroit Pistons 97-87. Kyle scored 26 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two steals on the boards. He might be a great playmaker when he gets playtime.
Walker Kessler is another player to mention here, as things may be changing up for him with the Jazz. He wasn’t able to show everyone what he was capable of this past season playing center. He finished the season with an average of 8.1 points. Furthermore, the frontcourt player grabbed 7.5 rebounds and swatted the opponent’s shots an average of 2.4 times per game in 23.3 minutes across 64 appearances. He didn’t even play in the Summer League and now looks to be traded to the Knicks.
Looking to end Summer League on high note
The next two are great paired as they complement one another in ability and strengths. Darius Bazley and Kenneth Lofton Jr. both showed skills in being well-balanced players, knowing when to hustle and pace themselves for the long game. They understood their roles and, at moments that were best held back, let other players shine or pick it up and lead the way for their team.
Some players were present but never showed much, like Keshawn Justice. For example, Jason Preston was on the roster but never played and showed that he wasn’t with the team. He did have a good excuse: he was getting married. Now that the season is coming, there are still trade rumors, lineups are starting to be chosen, and games are being planned, and some of these Summer League players will be essential to watch.
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