Jazz's G League Guard Dubbed 'Ready for the NBA' for Upcoming Season

The Utah Jazz could have a diamond in the rough for their looming campaign.

Apr 11, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Johnny Juzang (33) reacts to a shot against the Houston Rockets during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz and their front office have ensured to do their due diligence in stacking up young talent across the past two offseasons, but yet there have still been a few players added in the mix that have gone underrated amid the team's exciting youth movement.

Among those underrated players may be 23-year-old guard Johnny Juzang, who enters his third season pro in Utah now signed onto a traditional NBA contract after two consecutive seasons of being on a two-way deal. This season presents an ideal opportunity to see much more action than he's seen in his past two years, and may lead into a career campaign for the UCLA product.

Juzang got some notable credit recently from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, who dubbed the guard among his seven G League players "ready for the NBA" during the 2024-25 season. Wasserman notes that while Utah could have a few other appealing prospects to develop, Juzang has made a strong case to get an enhanced role for his third year in Salt Lake City:

"Johnny Juzang looked like a pro with the Utah Jazz late last season, after he averaged 20.5 points in 34 games for the Salt Lake City Stars. He shot 41.6 percent from deep in 20 NBA appearances, and it's no question that the main draw to the 23-year-old is his shotmaking... Utah does have potentially higher-priority prospects to develop, including 2024 lottery pick Cody Williams and former first-rounder Brice Sensabaugh. But Juzang made a compelling case for minutes in both the G League and his 372 NBA minutes."

- Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report

Juzang has appeared in 38 games across his first two seasons in the league. While averaging just over 15 minutes an appearance, he's posting 6.1 points a night, alongside 2.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists on 40.2% shooting from the field and a 33.2% clip from deep. Since coming undrafted from UCLA, the 6-foot-6 guard has proven to be a solid shot maker and scorer when given the opportunity.

He burst onto the scene last season as an efficient shooter from deep, averaging 41.6% shooting from beyond the three-point line in just under four attempts a night. Even if he primarily acts as a secondary scorer as a spot-up threat in Utah's offense, there's value to be had with him on the court.

The biggest hurdle for Juzang this season may inevitably be finding a role within Utah's crowded backcourt. He'll be competing for minutes next to names like Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and even rookies Isaiah Collier and Cody Williams as they find their way into the Jazz's rotation.

The talent is there for Juzang, but it may take a couple of trades or injuries to carve out a critical spot in the 10-man for year three. However, the good thing for the Jazz is that Juzang should be in the fold for the foreseeable future after signing a new four-year contract this past summer.

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