SALT LAKE CITY — For the past three seasons, the Utah Jazz have ranked among the top 10 teams on defense in the NBA, a trend that has continued into the current campaign where the Jazz are tied with the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and Toronto Raptors for No. 6 league-wide.
Head coach Quin Snyder has been lauded for this dedication to defensive-minded basketball that has helped the team develop into one of the better up-and-coming squads in the Association. In fact, the last two seasons have seen center Rudy Gobert win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. While Gobert is widely recognized as the league’s top defender, the Jazz also boast other top-flight defensive talents who have a penchant for making it tough on opponents to score the basketball.
One of those talents is forward Royce O’Neale, who, at 6 feet 4 inches, might be considered undersized to play either position on the front line, but his tenacity and work ethic have made him into one of the team’s best defensive weapons. O’Neale has been called on to guard nearly every position on the floor, including drawing assignments to cover NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and all-star point guard Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets — something he’s done to great effect, Snyder explained.
“I just take every challenge personally. I watch films to see what things they like to do — to notice how different types of high caliber players play. I think it’s just having confidence in myself and coach (Snyder) having the confidence of giving me those assignments and everybody else helping me out.” — Utah Jazz forward Royce O’Neale
“Some of it’s experience. There’s a part of it that’s conscious and then there’s a part of it that’s instinctive for somebody,” he said after the team’s practice Sunday at the Zions Bank Basketball Campus in Salt Lake City. “You’ve got to really dial in on a game plan first of all, not going for a shot fake in a situation, shading the guy to his weak hand, all the nuances of that.”
Snyder said good players get better at applying those principles over time and O’Neale has worked hard at improving his game, particular on defense.
“I remember there was a few years ago Royce drew an assignment for one of the top players in the league and he was really jumping on the ball and pick and roll. Because he was so intense, he overreacted,” Snyder explained. “(With experience) you see that similar to offense, the game slows down a little bit. I think it’s slowed down for him a little bit that allows you to kind of process more and have handle various different matchups with different players.”
For his part, O’Neale said he appreciates the opportunity to play against the league’s best — no matter how big or small they may be.
“I just take every challenge personally. I watch films to see what things they like to do — to notice how different types of high caliber players play.”
“I think it’s just having confidence in myself and coach (Snyder) having the confidence of giving me those assignments and everybody else helping me out,” he added.
He attributed his growth and success as a player to working hard to become better every day and his continuing to improve his understanding of the game.
“I use my defensive instincts to advantage on defense to help with the game plan,” he said. “Those guys, Rudy and Donovan and everybody else talking in the background helping me out allows me to be confident on the ball.”
“I really don’t care (who I’m guarding). I’m taking the challenge no matter what — small or big,” O’Neale said. “All the hard work I put in, just making it pay off.”