National Basketball Association

Utah Jazz Media Day: Trey Lyles Has All-Star Aspirations

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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After a strong rookie season and what many considered a breakout summer league, Utah Jazz big man Trey Lyles is working towards becoming an All-Star.

Every NBA player has a different approach to the offseason. If you’re the Washington Wizards’ Marcin Gortat, for example, basketball is the last thing on your mind during the summer. According to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post, Gortat said he studied “the beach and the pool” when asked about studying Wizards coach Scott Brooks’ system.

Whether or not Gortat was being real or having a go at the media’s expense, Utah Jazz big man Trey Lyles was crystal clear about how he spent the offseason.

“I went home back to Indiana and all I did was work,” he told Utah’s radio commentary team of David Locke and Ron Boone at Jazz Media Day.

For Lyles, the work was essential to his long-term plans. Having already transformed himself from the guy the Jazz drafted instead of Devin Booker to a potential star, the former Kentucky blue-chipper is on a mission to elevate his game to the highest level.

“What I want to be is an All-Star,” he said on Monday. “I want to be one of the premiere guys in the league, but it’s going to take some time.”

He’s confident in his abilities, but the 20-year-old is also realistic about the scope of his goals. During the Media Day live stream, he said he wants to be in the mid-season classic by year five. However, Lyles is already hard at work to make it happen.

According to Lyles, a primary objective this summer has been to change his body. In addition to his skill work, the second-year pro has been swimming and working extensively with weights. He has also assembled a close-knit team of experts to help him along the way.

Namely, his father and sister.

The elder Lyles apparently records every game and continues to work with the Jazzman on things he can improve. Trey specifically mentioned conditioning, catch-and-shoot situations, playing around the basket and ball-handling as areas of focus. His sister, meanwhile, is a personal chef and has been working with him on nutrition.

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It’s a lot of effort from the entire Lyles clan, but the 6-foot-10 phenom is clearly a man on a mission.

With all due respect to Mr. Gortat and his methods, it’s hard to argue with the results of Lyles’ approach.

After averaging 23.8 points and nine rebounds per game during summer league, it’s plain to see the work is already paying off.

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