Sell Me On Your Favorite Jazz Draft Prospect

It’s happening right now in the Utah Jazz front office. The front office is holding workouts with different players, reviewing notes from those workouts, discussing player rankings, and conducting background research. On top of that, they’re likely taking calls on the #2 pick from teams wanting to trade up, while also trying to figure out if there’s a way to move down if they want to get their guy one pick later.

Here’s my pitch for the guy I want the Jazz to take, Darryn Peterson.

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1. He’s the most talented player in the draft, and that set of talents includes incredible shooting:

   • Whether it’s off the bounce or on the catch, he’s a deadeye with a lightning release. But it goes beyond simply off the bounce or on the catch, Peterson has incredible body control and balance. He can pull up like SGA or prime Harden in the midrange with impressive stopping power and then pulls up for a soft-touch jumper. That body control comes into play at every spot on the floor. He’s Steph-esque with his ability to shoot it at any time, from any spot, and decimate the opponent.

2. He’s a better passer than you think.

   • Yes, his 1.6:1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio has given the boxscore scouts ammo to claim he can’t make the plays necessary to win. He can make the corner pass, the pocket pass, the lob to the big, easy dumpoff. He consistently played within the offense and made the right play. The context of his passing is that the team wasn’t asking Peterson to constantly set up teammates, they were asking him to score. And if there’s one thing that Peterson can do at a spectacular level it’s score the ball. But don’t get it twisted, there is a part of Peterson’s game that will flourish with NBA spacing and NBA shooting around him, and that’s his passing. It would not be surprising to see him easily evolve into a 5+ assists per game player.

3. He’s a great defensive player and would also add defensive identity to the Jazz.

   • Peterson averaged 1.4 steals per game in 29 minutes. It’s something that gets mentioned with everything he does, but he did that while dealing with injuries and the cramping issues that have been well documented. That ability to create turnovers likely gets better when he’s fully healthy and could become an even bigger weapon. Peterson has a fantastic wingspan that will allow him to fill passing lanes and tip the ball away from loose handles. It’ll create easy offense for Utah on top of everything else he does.

4. Peterson gets to the line

   • Though he’s not as prolific as AJ Dybantsa getting to the line, manufacturing points at the line is definitely a part of his game. At 5.5 FTAs per game, Peterson is able to manufacture points that will make opponents wary of playing him too close. The issue there is Peterson’s needs just inches to get his shot off, so if the defender gives him space, he’s going to take advantage.

With the FanDuel odds putting AJ Dybantsa with the Wizards at #1, this is a very likely possibility for the Jazz.

Now it’s your turn. Sell me below who you think the Jazz should take at #2. If you want to talk AJ Dybantsa, that’s fine!