Utah Jazz: 5 lineups to watch for in 2017-18
By Adam Coffman
Developmental
- PG: Dante Exum
- SG: Donovan Mitchell
- SF: Royce O’Neale
- PF: Joel Bolomboy
- C: Tony Bradley
It’s extremely unlikely that this group will see time together at any point other than garbage time, as only Exum has so much as started a game in his NBA career. However, each player has a part to play in the Jazz’s future, so getting them court time when possible should be a priority.
Although Exum’s progression is more time-sensitive, Mitchell represents the most promising player of the group. His performance in NBA Summer League has many picking him as a sleeper Rookie of the Year pick, and it’s more than likely he cracks the rotation in a larger way than many of his peers here.
O’Neale and Bolomboy represent the lowest-consequence assets of the five; in fact, one of them may not even be on the roster come the start of the regular season.
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At 24 and 23 years old respectively, neither player has shown anything of note in an NBA setting, but both have the potential to become assets. Bolomboy has the potential to act as a mobile, floor-spacing center, while O’Neale has a frame that could allow him to switch across three positions defensively.
Bradley is arguably the rawest player of the five, and should actually spend most of the season with the Salt Lake City Stars, as Bolomboy did last year.
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We might not see each of these looks in the exact way they’ve been laid out here, but the philosophies being creating all of them should be evident in the looks the Jazz do go to next season.