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The Utah Jazz Twitter account posted photos on Thursday of some of the players who are back in market, getting in work at Zions Bank Basketball Campus in preparation for training camp, which opens on Tuesday.
One of the photos shared is of Miye Oni, and it got me thinking. Where does he fit in with the Jazz? Turns out, it’s not an easy question to answer.
Oni has incrementally earned more playing time and more opportunities over the last two seasons with the Jazz, but at this point, has he done enough to stay in the regular rotation?
Quin Snyder is not known for his expansive rotations. He pretty consistently sticks with nine players, but even if he were going to expand to 10 players, it might not include Oni. The starters are locked in with Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Royce O’Neale, Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley. The next four will likely be Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles, Rudy Gay and Hassan Whiteside.
If the Jazz are looking for a 10th man, they could turn to rookie Jared Butler or two-way player Trent Forrest, or Elijah Hughes, who continues to develop, and of course it could be Oni.
If Snyder is going to expand the rotation at all (and there’s no guarantee that he will) who he plays might depend on matchups or on resting some of the more veteran players. But it could be decided by performance, which is why training camp, preseason games and every opportunity thereafter is so important for the players on the fringes of an NBA roster.
Solid and impressive performances could be the difference between being one of many of the garbage-time players and being the one that the coaching staff relies on.
New with the Jazz
Stat of the week
When the Jazz open training camp on Tuesday in Las Vegas, it will mark the first time in 13 years that the team has held training camp outside of Utah. The last time the Jazz’s annual training camp was outside Utah was in 2008, when the team conducted camp at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho.
This week on ‘Unsalvageable’
Check out “Unsalvageable: A Utah Jazz Podcast,” hosted by Deseret News Utah Jazz beat reporter Sarah Todd and lifelong Jazz fan Greg Foster (no, not that Greg Foster). This week, the crew answers listener questions on topics that cover everything from the the Jazz and the NBA at large to book recommendations.
New episodes come out every week. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast and anywhere else you stream podcasts.
From the archives
Extra points
- 2 reasons why this coming season feels a bit urgent for the Jazz (KSL)
- Vivint Arena Adds New Black Signs, Drops Smart Home (KSL Sports)
Around the league
Minnesota Timberwolves fire president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas.
Andrew Wiggins refuses to get vaccinated despite trouble it could cause Warriors team.
Ben Simmons will not report to Sixers training camp, as he attempts to force a trade.
Up next: NBA preseason
Oct. 4 | 6:30 p.m. | Utah Jazz @ San Antonio Spurs | TBD
Oct. 6 | 6 p.m. | Utah Jazz @ Dallas Mavericks | TBD
Oct. 11 | 7 p.m. | Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans | TBD
Oct. 13 | 7 p.m. | Utah Jazz vs. Milwaukee Bucks | TBD
*Broadcast information for preseason games to be announced at a later date.