Jazz governor Ryan Smith, a BYU alum, might not admit this, but there’s a real chance Peterson emerges as the best player in this draft. There’s also little argument that he represents a cleaner on-paper fit with Utah’s core than Dybantsa.
In other words, Utah might have as much to celebrate about landing No. 2 as Washington did with getting No. 1. Fit may not be a major factor in selections this early, but ideally you’re hoping that the best player available and the best fit are the same person. With Peterson, it sure looks like that’s the case—assuming, of course, nothing alarming surfaces on his medical reports.
If he’s healthy, his elite shotmaking, secondary creation, off-the-bounce burst and disruptive defense should be perfect complements to a core featuring Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. (Not to mention, a presumably re-signed Walker Kessler.) There’s a blueprint here for Utah to be a factor in the West, and maybe sooner than later.