Jazz Mailbag: Should Jaren Jackson Jr. start at center?

1. There’s a broad misunderstanding of who Jackson Jr. is as a player.
2. The quality of minutes for Peterson and Bailey is more important than the raw quantity.

Let’s address the first point before moving to the second.

Jackson Jr. enters the season as the Jazz’s best two-way player. He’s an excellent help-side rim protector, a capable switch defender, even with his enormous frame, a solid 3-point shooter, particularly when trailing the offense, and a reliable isolation scorer.

Those skills are extremely valuable in today’s NBA and should help address several glaring holes on the Jazz roster.

WHAT A BLOCK JAREN JACKSON JR. 😱 pic.twitter.com/KtyRD5e25R

— NBA (@NBA) February 24, 2023

Despite his elite physical tools, however, he doesn’t use his strength effectively as a rebounder, a low-post defender, or as a screen setter. He’s also only an average passer.

Those shortcomings mirror many of Markkanen’s weaknesses and help highlight why Jusuf Nurkic provided value for the Jazz last season.

Nurkic is the Jazz’s best returning rebounder, he’s one of the league’s better screen setters, and he’s a willing passer on a team that lacks advantage-creating ball movers.

While he offers little as a rim protector, he has the size and strength to match up with opposing centers, allowing Jackson Jr. to operate as a help defender, where he is most effective.

Though Nurkic likely isn’t the Jazz’s long-term answer at center, he’s clearly the best option right now.

Getting Peterson and Bailey the right minutes

Throughout the Jazz’s rebuild, the organization faced no urgency to win, allowing young players to soak up significant minutes at a relatively low cost.

The pursuit of higher lottery odds often matched, or even outweighed, the value of player development.

That doesn’t mean the Jazz failed to develop players like George or Kessler, but neither was identified as a franchise cornerstone early in their careers.

KEYONTE GEORGE 40-PIECE! 🔑🔑🔑

that’s a new career-high! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Sf3ydzpL3u

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 21, 2026

Now, with two elite prospects in Peterson and Bailey, the Jazz need a more intentional approach to development and the right infrastructure to support it.

Jazz Mailbag: Ideally, who is the team’s best player in three years?

Rather than throwing two top-five picks into the deep end by starting them against the league’s best players every night, the Jazz can use Peterson and Bailey in more specialized situations designed to maximize their growth.

That could mean opportunities to start at times, or it could mean favorable matchups against opposing second units.

It may depend on which teammates they share the floor with, or the specific roles the coaching staff wants them to perfect as they develop.

No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson SHINED tonight 🤩

🎶 25 PTS (game-high)
🎶 12 AST (game-high)
🎶 2 STL
🎶 3 3PM

The @utahjazz pick up the win at the Salt Lake City Summer League! pic.twitter.com/XpQqPJuYkC

— NBA (@NBA) July 7, 2026

Most importantly, it could mean playing meaningful minutes in games the Jazz are trying to win rather than in low-leverage games where the outcome is of no importance.

To maximize those opportunities, the Jazz likely need to get the most out of their veterans, especially Jaren Jackson Jr., who is best equipped to help the team win games.

In other words, maximizing the growth of Peterson and Bailey may require the Jazz to prioritize winning, and that will depend in part on the performance of the veterans in the rotation.

Both players should be fixtures in the Jazz rotation, and their development remains paramount. However, growth doesn’t come simply from being on the floor. At this stage, the minutes have to matter.