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LAS VEGAS — Three thoughts on the Jazz's 86-71 win over the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday night from KSL.com's Utah Jazz beat writer Andy Larsen.
1. Joel Bolomboy impresses with great overall game
Bolomboy got the start for the Jazz Wednesday with Trey Lyles sitting down again, and Bolomboy played well with more minutes. He picked up 14 points (on 5-of-6 shooting), to go along with nine rebounds and three assists as well.
I actually liked his game better than the one he showed in his first start Sunday. This time, much of his offense came from rebounding, putbacks and outside jumpers, the kind of opportunities he's much more likely to get at the professional level. He's not likely to get many post-ups where he can turn and drive in Utah coach Quin Snyder's system, but a big who can hustle and hit the occasional corner 3-point shot (as Bolomboy did Wednesday, though it was waived off due to an earlier turnover) can get minutes.
Bolomboy told NBATV about starting, "I try to take advantage of these opportunities like today." He says he's comfortable in either role.
2. Tibor Pleiss scores 20
It was actually Pleiss, though, who ended up leading Utah in scoring after a late fourth-quarter scoring burst, largely with the game already out of reach. Pleiss shot 6 of 9 overall, hit 2 of 4 3's and added six more points at the line.
Pleiss' play has been worrying for Jazz executives during summer league. He's not always in the court in the right spots, not great for a player who should know better after a year in Utah and Idaho. But he has the undeniable ability to shoot from the outside, and his 7-foot-3 frame means he can get the shot off, even though his release is very slow. On Wednesday, though, he showed his potential: A gangly big who can shoot 3's could be a valuable asset for a team.
Ultimately, the Jazz are going to have to choose between Pleiss and Bolomboy to keep on the roster, unless some surprising moves are made. Games like Wednesday's against Portland help Pleiss and the Jazz either way. If they choose to keep Pleiss, then showing off his scoring threat makes him more of a spacing challenge for other teams and builds his confidence going into the regular season. And if they don't choose to keep Pleiss, it's more likely that an NBA team will be interested that would either claim Pleiss on waivers, or be interested in acquiring him in a trade, which would mean his salary wouldn't count against the cap.
3. Dennis Lindsey's NBATV interview
One of the most interesting parts of the game actually took place off the court. Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey spoke with NBATV's commentary crew during the second quarter and answered some questions about the big-league Jazz's offseason.
Lindsey's interview, interestingly, started with a mea culpa:
Addressing that lack of depth that was so clearly shown when Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors, Dante Exum and Alec Burks went down with relatively major injuries, was a key item of concern on Lindsey's list for this offseason. That's why the signings of Joe Johnson, and trading for George Hill and Boris Diaw make a lot of sense. They fill those gaps so the Jazz can play clearly above-average players for nearly all minutes as necessary.
I like that sort of inward evaluation from the Jazz's GM. Certainly, the Jazz had injuries last season that prevented them from making the playoffs, and it's easy to blame bad luck. It's fair to blame bad luck! But taking the next step, and looking inward to evaluate "what could we have done better to ensure against bad luck from happening?" shows depth of thought.
Johnson, Hill and Diaw are all older players, but Lindsey also referenced the Jazz's developmental staff, saying that he thinks the Jazz "have some of the best developmental coaches in the world." That's still somewhat to be determined, but it's clear what the Jazz are prioritizing in their coaching staff hires.
Finally, Lindsey was asked to speak about Tim Duncan. Lindsey again reiterated that he wouldn't have had the success he's had without Duncan's career, and even went so far as to say this:
Duncan's quiet dominance is pretty incredible. He's a top-three player of the post-Jordan era (I'd probably put him second in overall career value, ahead of Kobe Bryant but behind LeBron James). He'll be hugely missed next season.
