One Skill Can Unlock Darryn Peterson's Star Potential in Year One

Though we're well past the milestones of the NBA Draft and the Summer League Circuit, the offseason remains the slowest and most painful stretch of the year, with outrageous takes and workout warriors dominating the newsfeed. This has especially been the case for the Utah Jazz, who anxiously await the start of their most anticipated season in ages. And the reason for such anticipation starts and ends with one man: Darryn Peterson. He's the rookie who arrived in Utah this year thanks to the Jazz jumping up the draft order for the first time in the organization's history. With the second overall pick in a very talented draft, the Jazz didn't hesitate. Peterson fit Utah's biggest need, positionally, already having the point guard, small forward, power forward, and center positions locked in for the starting lineup, a shooting guard like the 6'6" Peterson is a natural fit. Utah needed excellent perimeter defense. Darryn was a menace on the defensive end in college, jumping into passing lanes and poking the ball loose off the dribble regularly. But in a landscape saturated with workout videos, may I propose that Darryn Peterson's most valuable asset for the Jazz is actually his shooting ability? As is customary for an offseason argument, here's a workout clip of Peterson tickling the nylon. The jump shot is looking very good. Hitting a remarkable rate of his shots in this one, the ball falls through the net in a very distinct way when Peterson releases it. Minimal net movement, Peterson's shot finds the center of the rim reliably, even when forced to shoot on the move, off the dribble, and from anywhere outside the arc. This should be a reaffirming sight for those who saw Peterson's unbelievable Salt Lake City Summer League fizzle into a tepid, frighteningly inefficient run in Las Vegas. Peterson looked forced and rushed when facing the (needlessly) aggressive defending of the Summer League Circuit. Opposing teams took advantage of the 10 foul rule by pestering Peterson from the moment he crossed the half court line, and it showed in Peterson's shooting numbers, hitting well below the 50% mark in Las Vegas in every single appearance, despite the exact opposite being true during the Salt Lake City stretch. While I'm not intent to lean on workout videos of evidence that a player is ready for the NBA season (the Ben Simmons experience warned us why that's a bad practice), seeing Peterson's shot falling is a breath of fresh air for those who have been hurt by the Utah Jazz one too many times before. If Peterson is going to be a superstar, he needs to shoot the ball like the Utah Jazz know he can. Best Newest first Oldest first