Local Utah Jazz Prospects For 2015 NBA Draft
Utah Runnin’ Utes Hunstman Center, courtesy Holli Alexa Joyce
While the Utah Jazz were hanging closer than expected to the Atlanta Hawks, I was, meanwhile, up the street on the hill checking out some potential future Utah Jazz prospects at the University of Utah.
Hey, don’t knock it. Jazz brass have been spotted scouting a Runnin’ Utes game during a Jazz game this season too. Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey even tried to get his son Jake to play up the road, for the Utes, before he committed to Baylor. And there’s a former Utes standout on the Jazz coaching staff, Alex Jensen, while Utes head coach Larry Krystkowiak played for the Jazz in 1991-92.
The Jazz and Utes share quite a few connections in common. Could there be more on the horizon?
The No. 10 men’s basketball team in the NCAA boasts as its star younger brother of Dorell Wright, Delon Wright, a senior playing a level better than most of his competition at the college, currently mocked 32nd by DraftExpress. Delon Wright is slated to go somewhere in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft at this point.
While Dorell is considered strictly a shooter, Delon sees the floor well. Using his ability to get into the paint, where he uses his speed and 6’5″ frame to finish, the younger Wright brother can also zing a ball to a cutter or draw the defense then kick back out equally well. He’s wicked quick at the college level.
The Jazz have a slew of draft picks, including their own and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ second round’er in 2015, so they’d potentially have two shots at this speedy combo-point guard next summer, should they choose to target him.
"The offense could probably be more efficient if it force fed shots to [Gordon] Hayward and [Derrick] Favors rather than [Trey] Burke, but given that this season is all about developing habits, it makes total sense to run the offense in a more egalitarian fashion, especially as the Jazz may acquire or develop a new starting PG in the years to come.–Andy B. Larsen, SaltCityHoops"
Jazz head coach Quin Snyder and Utes head coach Larry Krystkowiak both have tendencies toward attention to detail, making a possible transition all the smoother. Wright is averaging 15.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game for the Utes.
The one knock on him would be his outside ability to shoot. Although he’s raised his three-point percentage from .222 to .333 this season as compared to last, he shows a reluctance to take the shorter college three. But he does seem to hit more midrange shots than he misses.
While the Jazz are currently crowded in the backcourt, they’re equally stacked up front. However, it’s hard to pass up a shot at any big man seven feet or taller that can impact a game like Utes center Jakob Poeltl (pronounced ya-kub purtle).
While none of these players are likely to leap into NBA lottery range, barring a jarring March Madness run, all three play smart and have viable NBA qualities
Not on many draft lists in the top 60 at the moment, the seven-foot freshman from Vienna, Austria has been turning heads since a perfect 10-10 game against North Dakota where he had 24 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in only 27 minutes. Chad Ford has Poeltl as a lottery pick on his big board.
Players like these don’t last long in college before being gobbled up into the NBA.
Honestly, the freshman reminds me a lot of a player the Jazz already have in Rudy Gobert: not much polish on offense, but will terrorize and change the paint against opponents, even when the traditional box score doesn’t shine for them. And he’s likely still growing, and could be beefier than Gobert was by the time he enters the NBA.
There may even be a third prospect right up the road from EnergySolutions Arena, if you want a wing to chew on: Jordan Loveridge.
Loveridge, a junior, might be the least sure thing of this trio to make the NBA, but he has a definable NBA skill: the kid can shoot. And I mean, he can really shoot.
Adding the three to his game, the 6’6″ West Jordan, Utah native is hitting a red hot 55% of 4.0 three-point tries a game and .917 of his free throw attempts this year.
While a couple of these players aren’t likely to leap into NBA lottery range, barring a jarring March Madness run, all three play smart and have viable NBA qualities that could be well within Utah Jazz prospects draft range.