© Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Jazz's Lofton & Bazley Making Compelling Cases for Future With Team
The Utah Jazz may have found some diamonds in the rough to close out the regular season.
A little over a month ago, the Utah Jazz signed Darius Bazley and Kenneth Lofton Jr. to team-friendly 3-year contracts. As the season winds to an end, it was these unlikely heroes who came up big and helped the Jazz snap the franchise's longest losing streak since the 80’s. With a roster very much in flux, their auditions with the team look to have given them an inside track to sticking around on the Jazz’s roster going forward.
Bazley has impressed since his Jazz debut where he scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds, and swiped three steals. In each game, Bazley has brought a tremendous amount of energy and hustle, something that head coach Will Hardy, the Jazz front office, and fans can appreciate.
In the win over the Houston Rockets, Bazley made a multitude of winning plays on both sides of the ball. The thing that impresses me the most is his understanding and ability to impact the game without having the ball in his hands. For a guy who averaged 20 points per game in the G-League this season to come in and impact winning within a role is a great sign.
Despite being just 23 years old, Bazley is a veteran in this league. Similar to Kris Dunn, I believe Bazley has figured out the little things that he can do to make him valuable to a team like the Jazz and keep him in the league going forward.
Lofton is one of the most unique archetypes in the league. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 275 pounds, he’s a tough matchup for defenders. If his 52-point outing for the Stars wasn’t evidence enough, Kenneth can put the ball in the basket. His production both in the G-League and when his name gets called upon for NBA minutes is overwhelmingly indicative of a guy deserving of one of the 450 NBA spots available.
Outside of scoring, I was extremely impressed with the passing he displayed in the win over the Rockets. Ever since they traded Kelly Olynyk, the Jazz have lacked passing basically up and down the roster. His ability to demand attention and move the ball on time and on target was impressive. Lofton’s physicality on the glass and ability to knock down open shots, which will be a swing skill for him going forward, also stood out as positives.
Bottom Line
For Bazley, his athleticism and defensive versatility are sorely needed on this Jazz roster. For Lofton, his unique play style and overall talent belong in the NBA. Hopefully, both can fit into the puzzle that the Jazz are building long term. I suspect we’ll see both in Summer League and they’ll have yet another opportunity to leave a positive impression on a Jazz team with many questions.
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