The first preseason look at Darryn Peterson is almost here, and the Utah Jazz are about to start getting answers.
After arriving in Utah in June, the No. 2 overall pick is set to make his first NBA preseason appearance against the Denver Nuggets, giving the Jazz their first real chance since summer league to see how he fits in live action. It also begins the final stretch before his official rookie season opener at the end of October, with preseason games now serving as the bridge between promise and production.
A few things will be worth watching right away, and the biggest one might be the simplest: who starts?
There has already been some discussion around what Utah’s opening-night lineup could look like, and head coach Will Hardy will get his first chance in the preseason opener to show how he wants to line up his group. At media day, Hardy said he wasn’t sure about the starting five until he saw his players on the floor. He also made clear that the real focus is on minutes and rotation balance rather than the label attached to the first five.
Even so, Peterson’s status in that group will be one of the first storylines to track. The guess here is that Ace Bailey gets the nod while Peterson opens his Utah career coming off the bench, but Hardy could easily have something different in mind.
What happens when Peterson gets the ball may matter even more than where he begins the night.
He entered the league with a reputation as a polished three-level scorer, and if that carries over, Utah could build some early offensive sets around him to help him settle in quickly. That would give the Jazz a clearer look at how ready he is to handle a bigger scoring load right away.
On the other hand, the team could choose a slower path. Peterson might start out as more of an off-ball option and bench scorer before being pushed into a larger primary role. This preseason run should offer a pretty good read on which direction Utah is leaning.
Defense is the other major test.
In his first press conference with the Jazz, Peterson said he wanted to pride himself on being a two-way defender. That kind of player would fit a Utah backcourt that could use exactly that sort of impact, which was a big part of the appeal in drafting him. But there’s still a difference between wanting to be that kind of defender and proving it against NBA talent.
Peterson has the frame, athleticism, and IQ to develop into a strong perimeter defender, but whether he can be a plus defender right away is something that still has to be answered on the court.
And the preseason matchups won’t make that easy. Utah’s slate includes two games against the Denver Nuggets and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, a meeting with the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama, and a finale against Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns, one of the league’s best perimeter scorers.
If Peterson is going to keep up with that kind of offensive firepower, he’ll have to get up to speed fast on the defensive end, assuming those stars are active for the exhibitions.
In Other News...
Jazz May Have A Bigger Walker Kessler Problem Than Expected
Josh Green could end up being one of the Jazzs more interesting roster pieces this season, even if his role on the floor never gets especially large. Utah has enough depth at his position that his minutes may be limited, but the team still values the kind of roster flexibility he brings, especially on a club trying to sort through the early shape of its rotation and keep options open for the future.
The bigger issue is what happens if the Jazz need help in the frontcourt sooner rather than later. With Walker Kessler out and Jusuf Nurkic dealing with an injury, Utah has a center situation worth monitoring, and Greens expiring contract could become part of a larger solution if the team decides it needs to act. The Jazz have draft assets and the flexibility to make a move, but for now there is no rush, which leaves Green in a curious middle ground as both a rotation piece and a possible trade chip. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Kessler Already Put Utah's Biggest Trade Debate In Focus
Walker Kessler didnt have to wait long to remind Utah what it gave up when he surfaced in a Lakers uniform for his preseason debut. The former Jazz center, dealt away in the offseason, stepped into a new situation in Los Angeles and immediately looked like a player who can tilt the conversation around a trade, especially one built around long-term draft capital rather than immediate help.
For Utah, that is the part of the deal that will linger. The Jazz moved Kessler for a package of future picks and swaps, betting on flexibility and patience over the certainty of keeping a young center who already showed he can impact a game with his size and activity. Early preseason results do not settle a trade like this, but they do sharpen the question the Jazz will live with for years: whether the return was enough for a player who still looks ready to matter right away. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Greens Jazz Role Is Sending A Message Fans Wont Like
Josh Green arrived in Utah as part of a late offseason reshuffle, but his early preseason usage has made the picture around his role a little murkier. Instead of sliding neatly into a prominent spot, he has been seeing sporadic minutes and mostly working with the second unit, which is usually the kind of usage that signals a player is still fighting for real rotation footing.
For a Jazz team sorting through wing depth and trying to make sense of a roster with several familiar options already in the mix, that matters. Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Brice Sensabaugh and Svi Mykhailiuk all bring more continuity with the group, and Greens expiring contract also gives Utah a different kind of flexibility if the front office decides that fit and roster balance matter more than keeping him in the long-term picture. [Read more 🡒]