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Utah Jazz: Top 10 moments from 2017-18 NBA season

By Simon Smith

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - APRIL 21: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz reacts during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Three of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - APRIL 21: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz reacts during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Three of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

10. Royce O’Neale‘s breakout game

For Royce O’Neale, the road to the NBA makes moments such as these all the more satisfying. Undrafted coming out of Baylor, O’Neale spent the past two seasons plying his trade in Germany and Spain before landing on Utah’s NBA Summer League team in 2017.

Leading to a Feb. 3 game against the San Antonio Spurs, while O’Neale had shown glimpses, the stellar play of the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles meant O’Neale’s playing time was inconsistent. Up to that point, he was averaging 4.2 points in just 12.3 minutes per game. However, with Mitchell sidelined, O’Neale certainly made the most of his opportunity.

Playing 32 minutes off the bench, O’Neale posted 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Being a +5 while floor, O’Neale nailed 6-of-7 shots from the field, including a perfect 4-of-4 from 3-point range. Following the game, head coach Quin Snyder commented on O’Neale’s growth throughout the season:

"“I think Royce is a good example of someone who has got on the floor by defending, and he’s worked at it. He’s grown more and more confident in his jump shot and picking the spots about when to attack. One of the things that he’s done really in the last couple weeks better than anybody on our team is when he’s had the ball in the open floor, he’s attacked the rim.”"

https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/960012098087501824

While the Spurs were without All-Star Kawhi Leonard, performing at such a high level against a storied franchise like the Spurs was a terrific achievement for a player finding his way in the league. After the game, the 24-year-old commented on his performance:

While Mitchell is clearly the future, O’Neale has provided the Jazz with a terrific backup option for the coming years.

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