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Joel Bolomboy selected for NBA D-League All-Star Game

Elizah Huge

Elizah Huge

Respect All, Fear None
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2024 Award Winner
The 23-year-old (6-9, 235, Weber State) has appeared in 19 games (17 starts) for the Salt Lake City Stars this season, averaging 15.8 points on 54.7 percent shooting, an NBA D-League leading 12.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 34.1 minutes per game. He is also shooting 48.3 percent (14-of-29) from beyond the arc. Bolomboy has recorded 14 double-doubles and scored in double figures in 16 games, including 20-plus points on five occasions.

Bolomboy, who was selected by Utah in the second round (52nd overall) in the 2016 NBA Draft, has also appeared in nine games this season for the Jazz. He will join Jazz teammates Gordon Hayward (NBA All-Star Game, Skills Challenge), Dante Exum and Trey Lyles (Rising Stars Challenge) as participants during All-Star Weekend in New Orleans.

https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/joel-bolomboy-named-2017-nba-d-league-all-star/
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWZGAExj-es
 
Good for Bolomboy. He deserves it.

Lyles has been so disappointing and lackluster lately. Id rather see Joel get a chance to bring some defense, and rebounding at least.
 
I believe he's a legit NBA player. He has an elite skill (rebounding) and while other avenues of his game may not translate as strongly, he's not going to be a huge liability if out in the game and his athleticism can compensate for a lot when he's surrounded with a few other good players. He needs some burn -- not for his development, but because he would be a superior option in a lot of situations. Boris isn't really a 4. He's a guy with limited mobility who can no longer play 1-3. The rebounding tandem of Diaw/Lyles is awful. He would outplay Withey as small-ball 5. He needs minutes carved out from those three. We're terrible on the glass and it's huge hole we have currently.

Also I'll go on record saying I think Bolomboy would be more likely to replace Favors than Lyles.
 
Bolomboy is showing us JB homers some awesomeness.

He's shown a well-rounded game and a consistency. I think he's going to be a Booker-type player with more size and a better shot selection.
 
kabenac said:
Bolomboy is showing us JB homers some awesomeness.

He's shown a well-rounded game and a consistency. I think he's going to be a Booker-type player with more size and a better shot selection.
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Before we got all excited about his skill, remember that Tibor Pleiss was 3rd in the DLeague in rebounding last year.
 
homeytennis said:
Before we got all excited about his skill, remember that Tibor Pleiss was 3rd in the DLeague in rebounding last year.
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Pleiss doesn't have the rebounding tenacity Bolomboy does. And JB has a better well-rounded game. Pleiss got rebounds because he's 7'3 and he improved his shot but he's not as good as Withey and so we moved him.

JB can be our Trevor Booker - an enforcer who can rebound, bring energy, and do a lot of things 'pretty good' - he fills a role we need. Pleiss has some potential but we already have two shot-blocking centers and although Pleiss showed he can perhaps stretch the floor it wasn't enough to keep him on the team. Plus Pleiss is more finesse - Gobert and Withey are good with contact.
 
Can he defend 4's at the NBA level? If so, we may have a Gobert/Kanter situation where Bolomboy pushes his way into the rotation and the Jazz trade Lyles.
 
It's crazy to think that Gobert actually played in the D-League because of how dominant he is now, but he did for a total of 8 games.

13.9 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 3 BPG and 74.1% from the field on 6.8 shots per game.

Why not give Bolomboy a chance?
 
White Chocolate said:
It's crazy to think that Gobert actually played in the D-League because of how dominant he is now, but he did for a total of 8 games.

13.9 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 3 BPG and 74.1% from the field on 6.8 shots per game.

Why not give Bolomboy a chance?
Click to expand...

Because we have better players than him.
 
White Chocolate said:
Who?
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Bolomboy is extremely raw. Has only played organized ball a few years. He looked lost when he got in game time with the jazz. At this point all of our bigs are better options. Possibly with a year or two that will change as he gets more experience playing pro ball. He practices with the team. If Q thought he was ready, he'd get minutes. As of now he's an unproven talent on a team fighting for home court in the first round of the playoffs. This isn't a rebuilding team anymore with the freedom to play young guys willy-nilly. Will have to pay his dues like most young players on good teams.
 
Comparisons to Evans or Tibor are not very relevant. I understand we see this pattern where we pick up some guy that we're convinced is a hidden gem and think he needs to get playing time and that it may appear that JB is just a continuation of that pattern. The problem is is that none of those guys had any legitimate skill. Evans was athletic and was a good chemistry guy and that was about it. Pleiss was a silly prospect. The idea was touted that he's a stretch big. But he wasn't big. At least he didn't play big. The only strength a stretch big has is if they actually do things a big does (rebound, defense, take up space) but also pull the defense out if you're forcing the opposing 5 to guard you. Tibor didn't play big. Him being on the fooor to shoot is a novelty as you could put anyone else out there to shoot because Tibor has no way of punishing the defense if they don't put a bigger player on him. This was lost on a lot of people.

Bolomboy's skill has no correlation to needing anything ran for him (i.e. it's not his shooting or scoring that's good but his rebounding), so his value comes from simply being on the floor. Elite rebounding gives careers to people like Reggie Evans. Bolomboy wouldn't be an offensive liability, either. I don't mean that he's going to be an offensive force but he won't be a liability. I say this more like how Gobert isn't a liability. You aren't running plays for him, but you're not playing 4 on 5 when he's on the floor. In the same way, he's athletic enough to be running the floor, getting putbacks and catching lobs.

Bolomboy >> any Dleague crap we've had before and he's more than just a guy who's athletic. Diaw is great for chemistry and makes good passes but there's a lot we're giving up when he's out there. Our lack of rebounding is really hurting us once Gobert leaves the floor. Playing him with Gobert would be great.
 
release the bolomboy
 
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