Jazz Young Players Will Get Opportunity In Short Rotation

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – In a numbers-driven NBA, finding a team’s most successful five-man line up is paramount. In a season likely to be plagued with player absences due to COVID-19, finding a consistent opportunity for those five-man units may prove difficult.

In the Utah Jazz season opener against the Phoenix Suns, coach Quin Snyder is hoping to find both continuity and opportunity for his young players to prepare for the year.

The Jazz are opening the preseason without either Mike Conley or Royce O’Neale who are both missing the game due to rest, though both players missed stretches of training camp over the last two weeks.

According to the Utah Jazz:

Jazz Injury Report (as of 12/11):

Mike Conley – OUT (medical protocol)

Shaquille Harrison – OUT (right hand fracture)

Royce O’Neale – OUT (medical protocol)

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) December 12, 2020

As a result, Snyder is tasked with maintaining a stable rotation, while preparing the team for the nightly uncertainty that will present itself during this pandemic driven season.

“I’d like to see a little bit of continuity,” Snyder admitted. “But it does give some guys a chance, like Miye [Oni] in particular.”

Though Snyder didn’t reveal his full five-man starting lineup, he said he planned to start George Niang in the frontcourt in place of O’Neale.

With Donovan Mitchell, Bojan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gobert, and Niang expected to start, the Jazz will have one other yet to be revealed bench player move into the starting lineup.

Snyder said the shortened lineup is a good opportunity for the less experienced players to see the floor.

The @UtahJazz will host the @Suns in their preseason opener.

Derrick Favors makes his return to the Jazz, while Chris Paul makes his Phoenix debut. #TakeNote https://t.co/DHfhi5psPu

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 11, 2020

“Some of the younger guys, it’s different when you play with rotational players,” Snyder said of the Jazz roster. “And we want to be able to use those guys.”

As for the style of play, Snyder would like to see the team carry some of the team’s offensive efficiency from the Orlando bubble into the new season.

“You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that if you’ve got a bunch of guys that can make shots, you probably need to try to shoot more of them, even I can figure that out.” Snyder said, “I’d like to see us be aggressive on the offensive end and equally aggressive but I think also disciplined on the defensive end.”

The Jazz and Suns tip-off at Vivint Arena at 7 pm MT. The game will be broadcast on AT&T SportsNet and NBATV.

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