MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 02: Kyle Korver #26 of the Utah Jazz shoots a three pointer over Wayne Ellington #2 of the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena on December 2, 2018 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Kyle Korver
When we talk about role players, few guys got shafted worse by the league than Kyle Korver. A genuine 20-point scorer if someone would let him shoot more, Korver spent two different stints with the Jazz. One in the mid-to-late 2000s’, where he shot over 50% from three in the 2009-2010 season.
But we’re not looking at that era, where the Jazz only gave him two shots per game. Talk about mismanagement. One of the greatest shooters the game ever had, only getting two shots per game.
Despite his misuse, he’d end up coming back to the Jazz, at the same time Jae Crowder arrived. Korver and Crowder both arrived from the Cavs, but neither man played with one another for Cleveland before getting dealt to Utah.
Korver was never overly athletic, so being 37 wasn’t an issue at all. He wasn’t hitting 50% from three anymore, but Korver was still hitting 38% from behind the arc and averaged 9.1 points per game in only 20 minutes of action. Not bad for an old man.
Korver’s second stint with the Jazz was short, he’d go on to join Milwaukee for the next and what would end up being his last, season in the NBA. Korver wasn’t much else on the court besides a true shooter, but even with the likes of Steph Curry in the NBA at the same time, there weren’t many, and besides Curry, any player who was as lethal from three-point as Korver.
If he were born a few years later, he may have been well more than just a one-time All-Star.
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<p>— Jazz Lead (@JazzLead) <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/26/3-of-the-best-role-players-the-utah-jazz-have-had-in-the-last-10-years/4/"https://twitter.com/JazzLead/status/1683869719961698305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>July 25, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
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<h2>Enes (Kanter) Freedom</h2>
<p>Before we get into the top three, we have to take a second and look at what the former Enes Kanter, now Freedom, did for the Jazz. While he wasn’t able to live up to the hype of a high draft pick, the 2011 third-overall pick did have a solid NBA career. At least on offense. The defensively challenged Kanter/Freedom played four seasons for the Jazz, most of which he came off the bench for. He averaged nine points and five rebounds per game, and while he wasn’t great on defense, there exists a universe where he and Rudy Gobert became a duel tandem much like the Cavs have with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.</p>
<p>Imagine if Kanter/Freedom could carry the offensively challenged Gobert, and Gobert could carry Kanter/Freedom on defense. That’d be a wild, and possibly terrible (but maybe not) experiment we never got to see totally come to fruition.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/26/3-of-the-best-role-players-the-utah-jazz-have-had-in-the-last-10-years/4/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-90773 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/26/3-of-the-best-role-players-the-utah-jazz-have-had-in-the-last-10-years/4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1706,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1361873912-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1706" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1361873912-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1361873912-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1361873912-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1361873912-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">PORTLAND, OREGON – DECEMBER 29: Joe Ingles # 2 of the Utah Jazz prepares to shoot a free throw during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on December 29, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Joe Ingles</h2>
<p>Joe Ingles came to the Utah Jazz when he was already 27 years old, and wouldn’t put up his first double-digit per-game scoring season until he was 30. The late-blooming Australian would become a fan favorite for his gritty defense, his three-point marksmanship, and his court vision. While he was a starter for a good while for the team, six of his eight seasons saw him come off the bench for the most part.</p>
<p><a href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/26/3-of-the-best-role-players-the-utah-jazz-have-had-in-the-last-10-years/4/"https://thejnotes.com/2022/02/01/3-reasons-utah-jazz-fans-love-joe-ingles/">During his time with the Jazz</a>, he shot 45% from the floor, 40% from three, and 77% from the free throw line, while posting four straight seasons of nearly five assists per game. So not only could he score, and score easily, he was also the team’s best passer during his run with the Jazz.</p>
<p>He even lead the team in assists per game during the 2019-2020 season, replacing Ricky Rubio who had become the team’s top passer during his tenure with the club.</p>
<p>Age and injuries slowed down Ingles and eventually, the team lost him due to a torn ACL. They <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/26/3-of-the-best-role-players-the-utah-jazz-have-had-in-the-last-10-years/4/"https://thejnotes.com/2022/02/09/grading-utah-jazz-joe-ingles-trade/">traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers</a> but he never played for them. He’d end up in Milwaukee the next season and now he’s currently suiting up for the Orlando Magic.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/26/3-of-the-best-role-players-the-utah-jazz-have-had-in-the-last-10-years/4/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-90772 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/26/3-of-the-best-role-players-the-utah-jazz-have-had-in-the-last-10-years/4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1706,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1136659357-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1706" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1136659357-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1136659357-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1136659357-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1136659357-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 16: Jae Crowder #99 of the Utah Jazz in action during a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 16, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Jae Crowder</h2>
<p>When looking at NBA players who provide versatility at multiple positions as both offensive and defensive players, few can compare to Jae Crowder. Built more like an NFL player than an NBA player, Crowder is a physical presence on the perimeter, with the size needed to bang down low with other forwards and even a few centers.</p>
<p>He’s no All-Star scorer and he’s never going to win a Defensive Player of the Year Award, but there aren’t many players who can score nearly 10 points a game, put up shooting splits of .420/.350/.780, and be one of the best defensive players on a team with Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo.</p>
<p>He came over from Cleveland (why is it always Cleveland?) in 2018 to help the Jazz finish the year with 48 wins for the season. He then stayed in Utah for the next season (’18-’19), where he had 12 points, and five rebounds but was largely ineffective as a scorer. Still, thanks to his impact on the team, the Jazz won 50 games.</p>
<p>He was a heck of an asset off the bench, playing in 80 games, with 69 of those coming off the bench for the squad. <a href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/26/3-of-the-best-role-players-the-utah-jazz-have-had-in-the-last-10-years/4/"https://thejnotes.com/2019/12/22/utah-jazz-jae-crowder-trade-2-years-ago/">He was gritty and tough</a>, in an NBA era where that type of play has been minimized by more modern rule changes.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/26/3-of-the-best-role-players-the-utah-jazz-have-had-in-the-last-10-years/4/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-90771 size-full" src=https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/26/3-of-the-best-role-players-the-utah-jazz-have-had-in-the-last-10-years/4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1707,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fthejnotes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1067867686-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" srcset="https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1067867686-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1067867686-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1067867686-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://thejnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1067867686-2048x1366.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 02: Kyle Korver #26 of the Utah Jazz shoots a three pointer over Wayne Ellington #2 of the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena on December 2, 2018 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Kyle Korver</h2>
<p>When we talk about role players, few guys got shafted worse by the<a href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/26/3-of-the-best-role-players-the-utah-jazz-have-had-in-the-last-10-years/4/"https://thejnotes.com/2019/12/05/utah-jazz-won-kyle-korver-trade-year-ago/"> league than Kyle Korver.</a> A genuine 20-point scorer if someone would let him shoot more, Korver spent two different stints with the Jazz. One in the mid-to-late 2000s’, where he shot over 50% from three in the 2009-2010 season.</p>
<p>But we’re not looking at that era, where the Jazz only gave him two shots per game. Talk about mismanagement. One of the greatest shooters the game ever had, only getting two shots per game.</p>
<p>Despite his misuse, he’d end up coming back to the Jazz, at the same time Jae Crowder arrived. Korver and Crowder both arrived from the Cavs, but neither man played with one another for Cleveland before getting dealt to Utah.</p>
<p>Korver was never overly athletic, so being 37 wasn’t an issue at all. He wasn’t hitting 50% from three anymore, but Korver was still hitting 38% from behind the arc and averaged 9.1 points per game in only 20 minutes of action. Not bad for an old man.</p>
<p>Korver’s second stint with the Jazz was short, he’d go on to join Milwaukee for the next and what would end up being his last, season in the NBA. Korver wasn’t much else on the court besides a true shooter, but even with the likes of Steph Curry in the NBA at the same time, there weren’t many, and besides Curry, any player who was as lethal from three-point as Korver.</p>
<p>If he were born a few years later, he may have been well more than just a one-time All-Star.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="3 young players the Utah Jazz have to develop and 3 players they may need to give up on" data-url="https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/23/3-young-players-utah-jazz-develop-3-players-may-need-give/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #00265D" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/26/3-of-the-best-role-players-the-utah-jazz-have-had-in-the-last-10-years/4/"https://thejnotes.com/2023/07/23/3-young-players-utah-jazz-develop-3-players-may-need-give/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 3 young players the Utah Jazz have to develop and 3 players they may need to give up on </a> </div>
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