Former NCAA Player of the Year Turning Heads for Jazz in G-League

In a year focused on player development, Utah Jazz rookies Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski have garnered most of the attention. However, the best game from Utah’s youth movement this season may be from Jazz two-way player Oscar Tshiebwe.

On Tuesday night, Tshiebwe scored 32 points and grabbed 22 rebounds to lead the Salt Lake City Stars over the Stockton Kings. Through 16 games this season, Tshiebwe is averaging 15.3 points and 17.7 rebounds per game.

Oscar Tshiebwe was on FIRE with a double-double performance of 30 PTS and 22 REB 🤯 Leading the @slcstars to a dominant win over the Stockton Kings! pic.twitter.com/sDXJwphQZx
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) January 15, 2025

The second-year product from the University of Kentucky is no stranger to success in the G-League. He was the MVP of the G-League as a rookie for the Indiana Mad Ants during the 2022-23 season. This came following a year in which he earned National Player of the Year honors for the University of Kentucky in 2022.

Despite being an undersized NBA center at 6-foot-8, Tshiebwe has a knack for dominating the boards. He broke a G-League record in his rookie campaign by recording 16.2 rebounds per contest. Tshiebwe recorded 27 double-doubles and broke the single-game Mad Ants rebounding record with 28 rebounds.

Tshiebwe is attempting to crack the rotation of a crowded frontcourt in Salt Lake City. Currently, Utah has three rostered players who can play the center position. Walker Kessler is the starter, and John Collins and Drew Eubanks are the backups. Utah also has some versatility if they want to go small, with Kyle Filipowsk getting minutes at the five. Despite the success in the G-League, Tshiebwe has only logged two games with the Jazz this year, averaging three points and seven rebounds per game.

Jazz fans may see more of Tshiebwe, considering the trade deadline is three weeks away. Rumors have been circulating around John Collins being traded, and Drew Eubanks has an expiring contract that could be needed to help facilitate a deal. If the deadline is anything like it's been for the past two years, we can anticipate Tshiebwe being a part of the Jazz permanently after February 6.

Either way, with the numbers Tshiebwe has been putting up, an opportunity should come knocking sooner rather than later. If an Achilles heel does exist in his game, it’s as a long-distance shooter. If Utah is looking for a big one that can space the floor, Tshiebwe isn’t the guy. Jazz fans interested in watching Tshiebwe up close can catch him Thursday night versus the Kings at the Maverick Center in West Valley City.

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