Every game, Utah rookie guard Darryn Peterson looks a little more confident on the court. <\/p>\n
That newfound swagger sometimes leads to audacious moments, as it did in Utah\u2019s overtime loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to clean up execution,\u201d Hardy said. \u201cIn 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].\u201d<\/p>\n
For Peterson, there\u2019s a balancing act. The Jazz are trying to win basketball games while he\u2019s trying to learn the NBA on the fly.<\/p>\n
That comes with doses of overthinking and hesitation. <\/p>\n
Peterson noted that he\u2019s taking a second or two longer than he should to make decisions and that the openings he had for shots in college aren\u2019t there in the NBA.<\/p>\n
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\u201cTrying to be aggressive is my biggest thing right now,\u201d Peterson told The Salt Lake Tribune after Utah\u2019s win against New Orleans. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m 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\u2019t lose it all. So, I\u2019m not worried about it. Third game in. It\u2019s too early.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even Hardy has seen some of that indecisiveness from Peterson. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe is a team player and wants to win,\u201d Hardy said. \u201cHe is just caught a little in between. I see him coming off some ball screens, and he\u2019s looking for his teammates, and in those moments he is the one that\u2019s open. This is all very normal. \u2026 He\u2019s getting thrown right into the fire and I think he\u2019s handling himself great.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want him to over worry about past possessions. We\u2019ve had a few moments where he looks over, and he\u2019s like, \u2018My bad.\u2019 We don\u2019t need to do that right now. \u2026 I recognize he\u2019s dealing with a lot. It\u2019s a lot happening. It\u2019s a new team, new coach, new terminology and play calls. On top of the fact that he\u2019s a rookie in the NBA.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those comments came two games ago. To his credit, Peterson has looked more decisive since. He\u2019s also been more willing to shoot, putting up 18 and 13 attempts in the last two games.<\/p>\n
The issue is the shot hasn\u2019t quite fallen yet. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Peterson\u2019s slow start isn\u2019t concerning, according to a league source not affiliated with the Jazz. <\/p>\n
The source told the Tribune that Peterson\u2019s struggles are normal and \u201cit\u2019s hard to come into our league killing it right off the bat.\u201d <\/p>\n
The source pointed out that Peterson is learning to play alongside several high-usage players on the Jazz.<\/p>\n
Peterson is a fourth option behind Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson and Keyonte George when the Jazz are fully healthy.<\/p>\n
The most important thing, according to the source, is allowing Peterson time to develop. Those within the Jazz organization share that sentiment. <\/p>\n
They believe they shouldn\u2019t overload Peterson early in his career. That\u2019s why he wasn\u2019t given ball-handling duties when playing with the second unit. That said, he did a bit of it in Wednesday\u2019s game. <\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a closer look at how Peterson stacks up against some previous lottery guards and one former Jazz superstar through five games.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t be surprised if Peterson\u2019s stats continue to rise, as he will have more opportunities while Markkanen and Jackson are injured. <\/p>\n
With their absences, Hardy\u2019s message to him is to be aggressive \u2014 and to shoot when open. <\/p>\n
Peterson understands that. <\/p>\n
\u201cI know I\u2019ve got to step up now,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
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