The Utah Jazz aren’t sounding any alarms about Darryn Peterson’s rough opening stretch, even if the box scores haven’t been pretty.
The former Kansas star and No. 2 overall pick has flashed the talent that made him such a high selection, but the early regular season has asked more of him than Summer League and the preseason did. Through four games, Peterson is averaging 11.5 points and has reached double figures in only two of them.
His best scoring night so far came against the New Orleans Pelicans, when he finished with 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting, 1-for-2 from deep and 2-for-2 at the line. His latest outing, against the Grizzlies and No. 3 overall pick Cameron Boozer, produced 14 points, though it came on 5-for-18 from the floor, 3-for-5 from beyond the arc and 1-for-1 from the free-throw line.
Jazz coach Will Hardy said the concern isn’t Peterson’s ability to make shots. It’s the choices leading to them.
"Darryn probably feels like he is cold right now, and there are plenty of hot nights ahead," Hardy said. "For him to keep finding those shots is the most important thing.
Right now we're really trying to harp on the decision-making. The physical ability to make shots isn't something we are concerned about."
Will Hardy on Darryn Peterson:
"We want Darryn to continue to play his game... For him to keep finding those shots is the most important thing. Right now we're really trying to harp on the decision making." pic.twitter.com/4yGrUCYQJt
- Eric Spyropoulos (@EricSpyroNBA) October 27, 2026
Peterson’s path into the league may also help explain why the adjustment has looked a little bumpy. He played only one season at Kansas, and even that was interrupted.
A hamstring injury kept him out of the matchup with Duke during non-conference play, and cramps followed him throughout the year. He also dealt with an ankle injury and flu-like symptoms, missing 11 games in total.
That doesn’t include the halves he left early because of cramping. Peterson was dealing with a body that kept giving him problems, and he chose not to push through when he thought doing so might make things worse. The tradeoff was obvious: fewer games, fewer reps, and less court time to build the kind of rhythm young players lean on when they get to the NBA.
Among the other top picks around him, Peterson has been the quietest scorer so far, aside from No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, who has not yet played in the regular season because of an ankle injury. No. 3 overall pick Cameron Boozer is averaging 14.8 points per game, No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson is putting up 21 points per game, and No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler is averaging 13 points per game. Wilson is the only other one in that group who also missed significant time in college because of a hand injury.
That doesn’t prove Peterson’s college stopover is the reason for everything he’s dealing with now, but it does underline a simple truth: the minutes matter, and he didn’t get as many of them as most prospects do before entering the league.
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