Royce O’Neale Starts For Jazz, Guards Zion Williamson
Oct 11, 2019, 10:40 PM
Utah Jazz forward Royce O'Neale (23) dribbles around New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA on Oct 11, 2019. (Photo by Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Congratulations Royce O’Neale!
The swingman from Baylor got his first start of the season for the Utah Jazz in their preseason matchup in New Orleans.
It’s not the first time he’s started a game for the Jazz, but it could be the first of many starts for O’Neale this season.
Tonight’s 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙍𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙎
➡️ @mconley11
➡️ @spidadmitchell
➡️ @BucketsONeale00
➡️ @44Bojan
➡️ @rudygobert27 #ZionsBank | #StartingLineup— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 11, 2019
Oh, and he started out guarding #1 overall draft pick Zion Williamson.
No big deal. It’s not like everyone in the nation would be watching him take on the freight train with dynamite dribbling skills.
But O’Neale wasn’t fazed and he turned out to be one of the stars of the first half.
📹| @bucketsoneale00 doing it all:
16p | 4 3pm | 3a | 2r | 1s | 1b pic.twitter.com/fKeN0py7lR
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 12, 2019
On the first play of the game, Zion fouled O’Neale. Then Williamson got the ball on a fast break and looked to hammer it down. The ball never made it to the basket because O’Neale stripped him on the way up.
Now it wasn’t all beads and confetti for O’Neal in the land of Mardi Gras. Zion made a 3-pointer over him and pushed O’Neale around to get a couple of offensive rebounds. If you look at the size of Willamson, you could understand why he could outmuscle O’Neale and most of the rest of the NBA.
And unlike the other night when O’Neale came off the bench in Milwaukee and had 2 points and 4 turnovers, Royce got rolling on offense. The first 3-pointer O’Neale took, he made. He missed his next triple, but then made his next 2. It’s always nice to get the ball after a block by Rudy Gobert.
defense ➡️ buckets pic.twitter.com/cBUpB2OivM
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 12, 2019
O’Neale led the team in scoring at halftime with 13 points. He finished the game with 16 points and 3 assists. He also got a break from guarding Williamson. Plenty of Jazz players got the opportunity to be bullied by the guy who is built like a linebacker. Zion ended up scoring 26 points, but 10 of those points came in the 4th quarter.
