5 Takeaways from Jazz's Preseason Debut
The Utah Jazz's long-awaited first preseason game is complete, and some questions have been answered. Utah's 114-82 loss to the Toronto Raptors also raised some eyebrows about how the roster will unfold moving forward.
What were the biggest takeaways from Utah's preseason debut? Let's dive in.
Size of the Backcourt
First, Collin Sexton was not in the starting lineup. The Jazz just signed Sexton to a four-year, $71 million deal, and that’s not the type of money that’s dished out to players coming off the bench.
But Utah struggled with a small backcourt last year with Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell as the starting one and two guards. I expect Utah's first-year head coach Will Hardy to continue this trend and avoid having Conley and Sexton paired on the court simultaneously.
Rudy Gay’s Days Could be Numbered in SLC
I know it’s only one game, but Gay didn’t look good last night. He finished the game with two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 17 minutes of action. Also, the body language didn’t feel right, as the 18th-year veteran looked disengaged and lazy.
The Jazz should make a last-ditch effort to make a trade before the season opener, but at this stage, waiving Gay might be in the best interest of both parties. It would cost the Jazz over $12 million, but having that distraction shouldn’t be an option when starting a rebuild.
What Fontecchio's Lack of Time Might Mean
The newly-acquired small forward out of Italy was a player I thought had a chance of starting, but wasn’t put in the game until garbage time in the fourth quarter. Simone Fontecchio finished the game, logging only nine minutes and scoring five points.
Before tip-off, Hardy went on the record on what it’s going to take to get consistent rotational minutes.
"If they want to play & earn a spot in the rotation, they have to do the dirty work. Those guys have to step up to an NBA level of physicality, play defense, try to do all the little things out there."
Was Hardy referring to Fontecchio? We’ll see how it plays out, but at first glance, it feels like Fontecchio may be on the outside looking in, when it comes to getting starter-type minutes.
A Stale Offense
The Jazz only scored 33 points in the second half. There are not a lot of shot creators on this roster, which will lead to some long spurts of inconsistency on the offensive side.
Jarred Vanderbilt and Walker Kessler bring a lot to the table defensively, but putting them on the floor same time may be a recipe that doesn’t work on the offensive side. It will be interesting to see how Hardy works around the lack of spacing issues that exist moving forward.
Roster Bubble Watch
It looks like Stanley Johnson and Saben Lee are on the outside looking into making the 15-man roster, as neither saw the floor on Sunday. Also, in a surprise move, Leandro Bolmaro didn’t see any action.
Second-year pro Jared Butler didn’t help his cause with a dismal performance, as he only scored two points while having three turnovers in nine minutes. If the Jazz ends up keeping Gay, then it could come down to Bolmaro or Butler competing for the last roster spot.
Follow Patrick on Twitter @pbyrnesNBA.