Utah Jazz rookie guard Darryn Peterson, the No. 2 overall pick in last month’s draft, is being described by former coaches as a relentless competitor despite public doubts that arose when cramping issues limited him during his freshman year at Kansas.
Peterson’s reputation as a top prospect was shaped at Prolific Prep in Napa, California, where head coach Ryan Bernardi said the 6-foot-6 guard routinely outworked classmates AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer—players selected first and third overall, respectively. “In his mind he’s a killer,” Bernardi said. “His work ethic, his impact on the game, his leadership—it blew AJ’s out of the water.”
Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend echoed those comments, calling Peterson the Jayhawks’ unquestioned leader even while he battled injuries. “It’s scary to think about what he’s going to be like three years from now,” Townsend told The Salt Lake Tribune. “He’s just going to keep getting better and better.”
Hinson trims down, Bates brought along slowly
The Jazz are monitoring three two-way players—Blake Hinson, Trey Alexander, and Tamar Bates—during Summer League play. Assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski said Hinson has dropped more than 20 pounds since the end of last season. “He’s going to shoot a really good percentage, but it’s the other areas of the game that the conditioning improvement has allowed him to impact defensively,” Wojciechowski noted.
Utah is limiting Bates’ minutes as he continues to experience soreness in the left foot that was surgically repaired in December. The former Missouri guard spent most of last season on a two-way contract with Denver before being waived in March and signing with the Jazz earlier this month.
Ainge headed to Hall of Fame
Jazz president Danny Ainge will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in October. Former BYU teammates praised the longtime NBA executive and questioned why the honor took so long to arrive.
Source: Hoops Rumors
