Every game, Utah rookie guard Darryn Peterson looks a little more confident on the court.
That newfound swagger sometimes leads to audacious moments, as it did in Utah’s overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
Look no further than the second quarter when Peterson used a wraparound dribble, stepped up to the 3-point line and made a bucket over the outstretched arms of Carter Bryant.
Other times, he looks like a rookie. That means making mistakes in pivotal situations or even getting benched late in a game, as he did against the Spurs.
“We’ve got to clean up execution,” Hardy said. “In those moments of the game, you have to be able to execute the game plan. I think Darryn is making a lot of strides, but in that moment, I felt it was better to go with Brice [Sensabaugh].”
For Peterson, there’s a balancing act. The Jazz are trying to win basketball games while he’s trying to learn the NBA on the fly.
That comes with doses of overthinking and hesitation.
Peterson noted that he’s taking a second or two longer than he should to make decisions and that the openings he had for shots in college aren’t there in the NBA.
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“Trying to be aggressive is my biggest thing right now,” Peterson told The Salt Lake Tribune after Utah’s win against New Orleans. “I feel like I’m being indecisive a ton. I feel like I work too hard to be indecisive. I just got to find that place, and once I find it, I won’t lose it all. So, I’m not worried about it. Third game in. It’s too early.”
Even Hardy has seen some of that indecisiveness from Peterson.
“He is a team player and wants to win,” Hardy said. “He is just caught a little in between. I see him coming off some ball screens, and he’s looking for his teammates, and in those moments he is the one that’s open. This is all very normal. … He’s getting thrown right into the fire and I think he’s handling himself great.
“I don’t want him to over worry about past possessions. We’ve had a few moments where he looks over, and he’s like, ‘My bad.’ We don’t need to do that right now. … I recognize he’s dealing with a lot. It’s a lot happening. It’s a new team, new coach, new terminology and play calls. On top of the fact that he’s a rookie in the NBA.”
Those comments came two games ago. To his credit, Peterson has looked more decisive since. He’s also been more willing to shoot, putting up 18 and 13 attempts in the last two games.
The issue is the shot hasn’t quite fallen yet.
Peterson is averaging 12.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists a game while shooting 35.4% from the field and 35% on 3-pointers.
Peterson’s slow start isn’t concerning, according to a league source not affiliated with the Jazz.
The source told the Tribune that Peterson’s struggles are normal and “it’s hard to come into our league killing it right off the bat.”
The source pointed out that Peterson is learning to play alongside several high-usage players on the Jazz.
Peterson is a fourth option behind Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson and Keyonte George when the Jazz are fully healthy.
The most important thing, according to the source, is allowing Peterson time to develop. Those within the Jazz organization share that sentiment.
They believe they shouldn’t overload Peterson early in his career. That’s why he wasn’t given ball-handling duties when playing with the second unit. That said, he did a bit of it in Wednesday’s game.
Here’s a closer look at how Peterson stacks up against some previous lottery guards and one former Jazz superstar through five games.
Don’t be surprised if Peterson’s stats continue to rise, as he will have more opportunities while Markkanen and Jackson are injured.
With their absences, Hardy’s message to him is to be aggressive — and to shoot when open.
Peterson understands that.
“I know I’ve got to step up now,” he said.
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