Utah Jazz: 5 options for pick No. 30 in 2017 NBA Draft
By Jason Oliver
2. Derrick White, PG/SG, Colorado
Derrick White’s path to a possible NBA career is what dreams are made of and may factor into the decision making of the Jazz front office on draft night.
Without a single Division I offer coming out of high school, White played out three seasons in Division II before being picked up by Colorado. His drive and determination then saw him use his red-shirt year with the Buffaloes to fine-tune his craft.
The result? Numbers of 18.3 points, 4.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 57 percent from the floor and 41 percent from beyond the arc.
At 23 years old when the 2017-18 season opens, White’s upside will be considerably limited, but his immediate impact for a team will be intriguing.
Mike Schmitz and Matt Kamalsky of DraftExpress describe White as:
"“An opportunistic scorer with a strong feel for the game, White isn’t overly explosive with the ball in his hands, but is a patient playmaker whose size, shot making ability from all three levels, and knack for letting the game come to him made him very effective last season.”"
Sound familiar?
White’s likeness to Jazz fan favorite Joe Ingles will surely gain the Colorado guard some traction when the 30th pick in the draft comes around.
With Shelvin Mack likely leaving Utah, there is an open guard spot available that White could fill with his three-point shooting alone.