How Juancho Hernangomez is taking advantage of unexpected opportunity with the Jazz

CHARLOTTE — Juancho Hernongomez was already back lifting weights.

It was moments after Utah's 107-101 loss to Charlotte and Hernongomez was in the tunnels of Spectrum Center grabbing some weight plates. Apparently, 28 minutes and scoring 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting wasn't enough work for the Spanish forward.

That's been the norm for Hernongomez since joining the Jazz. He's always seems to be doing something — before a game or after a game, pre-practice or after-practice. He's either getting in an extra run, some added shots, or going back to the weight room.

That made more sense in his first weeks of being on the team when he played 18 minutes total in his first 14 games with the team. But since playing as the emergency fill-in for the injured Bojan Bogdanoivc, Hermongomez has started five of the last six games and totaled over 20 minutes in four of those.

Suddenly, the combo forward thought of as a salary filler in the trade that brought Nikeil Alexander-Walker to the Jazz is making a case to stay in the rotation even after Bogdanovic comes back.

"He crashed the glass early and he got us some extra shots," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "Historically, throughout his career he's been really good for corner, he's around 40% catch and shoot corner 3. That's something he gave us tonight."

Hernongomez was 4 of 6 from the 3-point line — forcing a Charlotte team that wasn't initially too interested in guarding him to start closing out — and added five rebounds.

"You can't ask him to go out there and be Bojan Bogdanovic, but by the same token, he's giving us effort, giving us plays," said Donovan Mitchell. "… We trust him. And when you have that trust from your teammates, it's easy to hit shots."

Easy hasn't been a word that Hernangomez would likely use to describe this season. There was a reason, after all, he was thought of as a throw-in to the trade to Utah. After 18 games with the Boston Celtics, he was traded to San Antonio. Then, after appearing in just five games with the Spurs, he was sent to Utah. It was a cross country trip that he never wanted, and a once-promising player's NBA career looked to be on life support.

When he got to Utah, he was shooting 21% from the field and 14% from deep in an ever-diminishing role. In the last six games, he's hit 35% from deep on four attempts per game. Not Bogdanovic numbers, but they are respectable.

"As a player, you gotta be ready, stay ready and keep working on your game," he said following Friday's game. "I've been through a lot of changes, emotionally. Changed a lot of teams, changed a lot of teammates, coaches, but you're still the same player. You gotta keep working on your game. Be positive, stay ready. The NBA's about opportunity. My opportunity came — just enjoy it and do your best."

That's been the case over the last two weeks as he's filled in for Bogdanovic, and especially on Friday against the Hornets. Even if he's still, understandably, picking up a new system.

"It's a lot to be traded here and then be thrown into our system and then expected to start," Mitchell said. "It's a lot and I've got to give him credit. There are mistakes that are made — spacing and stuff like that defensively — but he's learning on the fly. He's able to receive it and he's been receptive of it."

More than receptive, even; he's actively looking for it. If you spy Hernangomez during a stoppage of play, you'll see a player asking questions to everyone.

"We don't have too much time to practice, so you're used to playing one way and they're used to playing another way and you just have to find your fit," he said. "So I ask a lot of questions to Don, Mike (Conley), they help me a lot — even coaches. I'm starting to understand and try to fit on the team."

That's something he'll keep working on — before, after and now during games.

"He's hitting shots, he's crashing, he's defending, he's making those winning plays," Mitchell said. "That's all you can ask."

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