Utah Jazz: Which of the non-guaranteed contracts will return?
By Mason McFee
Jonas Jerebko
- 2018-19 salary: $4.2 million
- 2017-18 season stats: 74 GP, 5.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.6 APG, 46.6 FG%, 41.4 3P%
Jonas Jerebko joined the Jazz after a brief stint with the Boston Celtics. Originally drafted 39th overall in 2009 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, Jerebko has turned into a solid stretch-big off the bench. Jerebko won’t wow you with his athleticism, but in today’s NBA, sometimes shooting is all you need.
As already mentioned, Jerebko appeared in 74 games during the regular season for the Jazz. In the postseason, Jerebko appeared in all 10 games, but only played 79 minutes during that stretch.
The low minute total shouldn’t be viewed as a knock against Jerebko’s game. Playoff rotations are shortened, and Quin Snyder opted to play Derrick Favors and Jae Crowder 26.0 minutes and 29.4 minutes per game, respectively. There are only so many minutes to go around. Next season though, it may behoove Snyder to give Jerebko more playing time.
Of the 74 games that Jerebko appeared in during the regular season, 19 of those were starts, and to quote Fat Patricia, he crushed it.
As a reserve, Jerebko averaged 4.8 points, shot 38.6 percent from beyond the arc, and was a +0.7. When Jerebko was a starter, he averaged 8.6 points, shot 46.4 percent (!) from beyond the arc, and was a +8.5. If that number had held, Jerebko would have been second in the entire NBA in 3-point percentage, well above his teammate and respected sharpshooter Joe Ingles.
Every team has the same amount of home and away games (41), but the difference in Jerebko’s 3-point percentage was night and day. On the road, Jerebko shot 37.0 percent on his 3-ball attempts; which was slightly above the league average of 36.2 percent. That’s good. At home, he shot a scorching 45.2 percent from deep. That’s elite.