Blake Hinson may have turned a routine preseason interview into the kind of clip that travels fast, but the reason it landed is simple: it sounded like a player who knows exactly where he stands and exactly what he’s willing to do.
The 26-year-old wing has taken the long road to get here. He played at Ole Miss and Pittsburgh, went undrafted in 2024, was waived twice, then bounced through the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz before landing with the Blazers’ affiliate to open last season.
Utah entered the picture in February, signing him to a two-way deal. From there, he played 14 games, started three, and logged about 20 minutes a night for a Jazz team that was tanking at the time.
Now the assignment is different. Utah is trying to move toward winning again, and Hinson is trying to prove he belongs on the roster when the dust settles.
That’s the reality for players on the edge. If you come into the league outside the first round, the path is steep.
Even for a scorer like Hinson, who has averaged more than 20 points per game in every G League stop he’s had, pure shot-making only gets you so far. The NBA has plenty of natural scorers.
What separates the survivors is everything else.
Hinson made that point without saying it directly Sunday night.
He played 17 minutes in Utah’s 109-97 preseason win over Denver and finished with 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting. That was enough to get him in front of the microphones, where he was asked about how the Jazz’s rotation is coming together. Instead of giving the safe answer, he went straight for honesty.
“I can help however,” Hinson said. “I can go get coffee.
I can maybe make a shot. I can talk to somebody.
I can watch your dog. I just want to be part of the program.”
The line drew attention because it was funny, but also because it was dead serious. For a player fighting for a spot, there’s no such thing as beneath him. That kind of willingness - to do the small stuff, the dirty stuff, the unglamorous stuff - is what teams value, even if the paycheck doesn’t always show it.
Utah may not be the only team paying attention after that clip. Still, Hinson has a real shot to make the Jazz’s final 15-man roster.
The starting five and Ace Bailey are already established in Will Hardy’s rotation, which leaves minutes available elsewhere. Hinson’s pitch was basically that he’ll do whatever it takes to claim one of them.
The task is still hard. But after Sunday night, he’s got plenty of people pulling for him.
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Jazz Rotation Already Faces A Test With Markkanen Suddenly Sidelined
Lauri Markkanens early preseason momentum hit a pause before Utahs second exhibition game against Denver, with the Jazz ruling him out because of neck soreness. He had been healthy and led the team in scoring in the opener, so his absence is enough to change the tone of a game that was already going to be about sorting out roles and rotation patterns.
Utah also will be without Kyle Filipowski, Jusuf Nurkic and Brice Sensabaugh, leaving the coaching staff to spread minutes around and get a different look at the rest of the roster. For a team still trying to settle its preseason rhythm, the missing bodies turn this into a useful test of depth, even if the Jazz would clearly prefer to have one of their primary offensive pieces on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Prospects Get Another Shot To Claim A Real Rotation Role
After a preseason opener that offered a first look at the Jazzs young depth, Utah gets another chance Tuesday against Denver to sort out which prospects can actually push for rotation minutes once the games count. Darryn Peterson had a quiet debut, but the broader point of these exhibition nights is clearer for a roster still trying to define roles beyond the established pieces.
Ace Bailey gave the staff something to think about in a sixth-man role, finishing with 10 points, while Blake Hinson made the strongest case off the bench by leading the reserves with 14 points and efficient shooting. For a Jazz team with room to evaluate and even more room to grow, the second preseason game is less about the final score than about which young players keep showing they belong in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Preseason Loss Sparks Debate Over A Heated Jokic Moment
The Jazzs preseason trip to Denver ended in a 117-106 loss, but the scoreboard was only part of the conversation afterward. Utah was trying to get a clean early look at a roster still settling in, while the Nuggets got a chance to sharpen their edge in a game that carried the usual exhibition caveats until the temperature rose between Nikola Jokic and Jaxson Hayes.
Hayes shoved Jokic during the sequence, and Jokic answered with a hard foul before drawing a technical for shoving back, turning a routine preseason game into a flashpoint online. For Utah, it was another reminder that even in October, emotions can spill quickly when physical play gets the better of the moment, and fans were left arguing about both the officiating and the conduct long after the final buzzer. [Read more 🡒]