Johnny Juzang Begins Preseason With Strong Claim to Make Jazz Rotation

The 23-year-old Utah Jazz wing has started off the preseason on the right foot.

Oct 7, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jermaine Samuels Jr. (00) leaps for the ball dribbled by Utah Jazz guard Johnny Juzang (33) during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Through the first two showings of the Utah Jazz preseason, one of the most notable bright spots during the initial sample size has centered around third-year wing Johnny Juzang and his strong start on the offensive end, and while it may be early, it could be the beginning signs of the UCLA product finding his way into a notable role in the rotation for the 2024-25 campaign.

The Jazz have taken the floor two times to start their action off, taking home wins against the NBL's New Zealand Breakers and the Houston Rockets and in both showings, Juzang has put up an eye-catching performance off the bench. He's averaged 15.5 points on a combined 7-9 clip from three-point range, instantly emerging as one of the better shooters Utah has to offer off the bench.

Juzang is coming off an offseason where he signed a fresh four-year, $12 million deal to remain in Utah. While the initial expectation leaned upon him being an end-of-bench contributor, that can quickly change if his offensive production keeps up at this pace.

The Jazz wing appeared in 20 total games and started in five last season after splitting time in the G League ranks, averaging 7.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists within just over 18 minutes a night. While limited, Juzang still showed his shooting prowess by averaging 41.9% from three on nearly four attempts a night. Heading into this year, he seems to be picking up right where he left off.

If the hot shooting streak continues past preseason and into the regular season for Juzang, it'll be hard to keep him off the floor for long.

This Jazz rebuild may be stacked with a few appealing draft picks and young players who can get involved on the wing. However, if the offensive production is apparent with Juzang, Will Hardy will have to get some shot opportunities his way to maximize this offense.

The true question with Juzang and the ceiling of his role in this Jazz rotation may ultimately center upon his defensive upside and his impact as a two-way player. Utah was ranked dead last defensively in the NBA last year and will desperately be looking for strides forward in that category to find any more success in the win-loss column.

With Juzang's six-foot-seven frame and almost seven-foot wingspan, the physical traits are there to become a positive defensive player on the perimeter. His advanced statistics don't signal that defensive impact forming just yet, as Juzang stands with a collective defensive rating of 123 and a defensive BPM of -2.2 in his 38 career games, but we'll see if that side of his game comes to fruition as more playing comes his way this season.

Juzang and the Jazz will face off in their next preseason battle on Thursday, October 10th against the Dallas Mavericks, where the 23-year-old will have the chance to build off an impressive initial showing.

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