Jazz Youngsters Show Promise In Loss To Raptors

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz got promising performances from several young players in 122-108 shorthanded loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Eric Paschall led the Jazz with 29 points while Elijah Hughes added a career-high 26 points but the team ran out of gas down the stretch after building a 17 point first half lead.

The Jazz were missing eight of their top nine rotation players with Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Royce O’Neale, Bojan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gobert, Jordan Clarkson, Rudy Gay, and Joe Ingles all missing the game.

Big efforts from Eric Paschall and Elijah Hughes weren't enough as the @utahjazz fell to the @raptors 122-108. #TakeNote https://t.co/2GF8ZgYFZp

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 8, 2022

How Each Young Jazz Player Performed

The Jazz weren’t totally without veterans as Hassan Whiteside played 30 minutes and recorded seven points and seven rebounds in a lackadaisical effort.

But the story of the game was what each young Jazz player was able to show in extended minutes with the traditional rotation players sidelined.

With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of each of the other seven players who got real minutes against the Raptors.

Eric Paschall – 29 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

Paschall showed off the same skills that earned him a spot on the All-Rookie team in 2020 using his powerful but undersized body to score around the rim and occasionally space the floor.

EP coming in h̾o̾t̾#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/p8VNTXBq3Q

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 8, 2022

As the most experienced scorer on the floor, Paschall was the default option for the Jazz offense getting 21 shots but showed a strong motor continuing to compete despite batting having not played significant minutes since early in the season, and having a newborn at home.

Elijah Hughes – 26 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists

Hughes had the best game of any Jazz player, and not just because of his scoring. Most players when given the opportunity can get baskets in the NBA, but it was Hughes’s quick release, rebounding, and playmaking that could make him a rotation player in the NBA.

Much of the narrative surrounding Hughes has been about wanting to improve his defense during the offseason, but it’s hard to argue with seven made threes, mixed with a willingness to mix it up against bigger players on the glass, and finding open teammates for buckets.

👀 @elijahhughes4_ threw this one down ⬇️#TakeNote #UTAvsTORhttps://t.co/dp6sWaKxi8

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 8, 2022

If Hughes can reach the level of defense he says he’s committed to he has a chance to be a very good player in the NBA due to his ability to score off the ball and contribute as a rebounder and ball mover.

As long as O’Neale is on the Jazz it might be difficult to find minutes on the floor, but this game was a strong testament to his development in the team’s system and a player who might have a future with the team.

Jared Butler – 17 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists

Perhaps no player was more highly anticipated going into this game than Butler who wowed fans during the preseason but hasn’t seen significant minutes during the regular season.

Ultimately Butler had a mixed performance in 31 minutes.

The guard clearly has a knack for scoring and his ability to get to the rim off the dribble with his quick first step is already pro caliber. He also showed some playmaking instincts kicking the ball out to the perimeter to open shooters while knocking down 3-9 from downtown.

like his twitter handle says, jared is a hooper ¯_(ツ)_/¯#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/KEwG2tfxVK

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 8, 2022

However, Butler also committed a team-high eight turnovers despite not being the Jazz’s lead ballhandler, some of which were almost inexplicable.

Having played three years at Baylor for a high-level program alongside several other pros, Butler’s decision-making is behind where it should be and didn’t inspire a ton of confidence if he had to get significant minutes at some point this season.

But his ability to score the ball in a number of ways is intriguing, especially if his playmaking develops, and his team-best +1 plus-minus was a good sign.

Danuel House Jr. – 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists

House Jr.’s five years of experience in the NBA were on clear display in his Jazz debut, showing an understanding of how to space the floor, when to shoot and when to pass.

House Jr. looks like the type of role player the Jazz can use with his ability to knock down open shots, hitting 4-7 shots from the floor including 3-6 from the three-point line.

First points as a Jazzman 🎷#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/gmcbfrNCqX

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 8, 2022

With the Jazz playing a basic zone defense for most of the game it’s difficult to get a grasp on how his defense looked in the team’s scheme, but Quin Snyder can always use more shooters and the veteran should be able to fill that role.

It was only one game, but House Jr. showed exactly what the Jazz need from a deep bench veteran.

Trent Forrest – 6 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds

Forrest had a difficult job as he was responsible for handling the majority of the Jazz playmaking with just three available backcourt players while also having to defend Fred VanVleet who recorded a 37 point triple-double.

The second-year guard is very capable of running an offense as evidenced by his eight assists and his four rebounds were a solid number on the glass.

But, the guard’s turnover issues which are apparent even in short stints with the regular rotation were on display once again as Forrest committed seven giveaways in 35 minutes.

Many of Forrest’s turnovers are due to his unwillingness to shoot the ball where he shuffles his feet on the catch or forces passes when he gets into the paint instead of simply looking to score.

In a game like this so with few experienced players, Forrest needed to abandon his pass first, second, and third mentality and look to help his team by scoring. He was unwilling to do it and it hurt the offense.

Malik Fitts – 6 points, 7 rebounds

No player was more out of place in this game than Fitts who looked to be having the toughest time of any Jazz player on the floor.

While his halfcourt shot to end the first quarter was one of the best highlights from the game, Fitts knocked down just 1-7 attempts otherwise and looked to try to do too much with the ball in his hands.

🚨 Buzzer-beater from half-court for first points as a member of the @utahjazz. ✅#TakeNote #UTAvsTOR @MalikFitts https://t.co/KJiBekTAaC

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 8, 2022

Fitts game at the moment will function best as a floor-spacing big man who can battle for rebounds alongside proven veterans, but on a roster like this that needed him to show more skill, he didn’t quite have it.

He was also caught playing flat-footed too often and Raptors players easily got to the rim due to his overly aggressive closeouts.

Fitts had the least experience of any player to record minutes and will need more seasoning before he can contribute.

Udoka Azubuike – 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block

Though Azubuike had a mostly mistake-free 15 minutes stint in the Jazz win over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, Azubuike’s performance against the Raptors was disappointing.

Over the last two games, the second-year center has a combined seven points and four rebounds in 30 minutes. That’s difficult to do at nearly seven feet tall with elite size and leaping ability.

D🚫K#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/qyYJUX2hSk

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 8, 2022

The Raptors center rotation consists of OG Anunoby, Khem Birch, and Chris Boucher, all of whom are dwarfed by Azubuike, and still, his physical gifts were mostly absent on the floor.

The young big man is still returning from a serious ankle injury and doesn’t have much experience in the NBA, but having played four years at Kansas before being drafted with a first-round pick, you’d hope he’d accidentally give you more productive minutes.

Jazz Will Have More Bodies Against Pacers

The Jazz now head to Indiana to face the Pacers on Saturday night and should field a much fuller roster when they get there.

Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Royce O’Neale, Jordan Clarkson, and Bojan Bogdanovic should be available on the second night of the back-to-back set as the Jazz look to avenge a 111-100 loss to the Pacers in early November.

Fans will remember that emotions spilled over when Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Joe Ingles were ejected for the Jazz while the Pacers Myles Turner was thrown out after a tussle in front of Indiana’s bench in the fourth quarter.

with just over four minutes remaining in the final quarter, the Pacers Turner blocked a Gobert layup which ultimately led to the game unraveling.

Late in the fourth quarter, Gobert had his shot blocked by Turner and pulled the Pacers big man to the floor. When the refs failed to call a foul on the Jazz center for blatantly pulling Turner down, the Pacers big man body-checked Gobert as the two ran down the court.

Things got heated between Myles Turner and Rudy Gobert after Turner blocked Gobert's shot. pic.twitter.com/O34Z7gckwC

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 12, 2021

The Pacers enter tomorrows game having lost six straight games, though each loss has come by 10 points or fewer.

In Thursday’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana was without Caris LeVert, Goga Bitadze, T.J. Warren, Kelan Martin, and Isaiah Jackson who were all in the health & safety protocols.

Chris Duarte, Jeremy Lamb, and Malcolm Brogdon also missed the game as they worked to get their conditioning back before returning to action.

Earlier today Torrey Craig and Justin Anderson entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols and won’t be available against the Jazz.

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