National Basketball Association

Who Should the Utah Jazz Keep on the Final Roster?

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

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With just two games remaining in their preseason schedule, the Utah Jazz will be forced to make a difficult decision regarding who is cut and who qualifies for the final 15-man roster.

As it was announced on Thursday, the Utah Jazz underwent their first round of cuts, parting ways with Eric Dawson, Quincy Ford, and Marcus Paige. This move puts the Jazz ever closer to their final roster number. Only 15 players will eventually qualify for the team and now just 17 still remain.

This leaves the Jazz with the tough decision of deciding who should stay and who should go. While the vast majority of the roster is already a lock (14 of the 17 have guaranteed contracts for 2016-17), the players whose future with the Jazz is most in question as they do not have guaranteed contracts are Henry Sims, Jeff Withey and Chris Johnson.

Mar 8, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) defends against Utah Jazz forward Chris Johnson (23) during the first half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Of these three, Sims, who was only recently signed to the team for training camp, seems almost certain to be cut as he has hardly even seen the floor during preseason. If this turns out to be the case as it likely will, the Jazz will have to choose between waving one of either Jeff Withey or Chris Johnson to hit the required 15-man final roster.

Now there is the slight possibility that if the Jazz desired to keep both of them, they could try to trade someone such as Raul Neto who hasn’t seen much preseason playing time and is buried behind three other point guards. However, unless an unlikely offer that’s too good to pass up is presented to the Jazz, this doesn’t seem likely.

Thus the decision will most likely come down to either Withey or Johnson.

If you’ve followed my writing all summer, I’ve been pretty bold in assuming that Chris Johnson would be the one to go. He struggled with his shot last season, the Jazz added a lot more wing depth and he just didn’t seem to bring enough edge or talent to justify keeping him on the team.

However, given recent preseason performances and due to some other factors, some may be surprised to find that I have changed my mind completely. The Jazz should keep Chris Johnson and instead Jeff Withey is the one who should be cut.

Apr 11, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz center Jeff Withey (24) shoots the ball against Dallas Mavericks center Salah Mejri (50) during the second half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Dallas won 101-92. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

I’m well aware that you can’t put too much stock into the preseason, but Chris Johnson has looked much more valuable thus far than Jeff Withey. And it really isn’t close.

Chris Johnson has shot significantly better, converting on 7 of his 13 attempts over four games and has even shot 50% from deep (OK, so he’s 1 for 2, but still). He has logged meaningful minutes in each game and has looked natural on the floor with his fellow Jazz teammates.

Withey, on the other hand, did not even see the court in the Jazz’s atrocious loss to the Phoenix Suns last Wednesday in a game that Purple and Blues’ Ryan Aston accurately described as a dumpster fire. I suppose one could argue that perhaps his insertion into the rotation might have spared the Jazz that awful loss, but I find that hard to believe.

When Withey has had minutes, he has not shot well (1 of 8 in three games), including missing several finishes around the rim that a seven-footer as himself should be able to convert. He did log a pair of blocks in Utah’s win over Phoenix in their first match-up, but overall Withey’s defense and cohesion on the floor simply haven’t looked as good as Johnson’s.

And beyond the story that stats tell, Johnson has clearly looked like the player who wants it more. His energy, effort and hustle, particularly on the defensive end where he thrives as a wing stopper, have eclipsed any kind of production put forth thus far by Withey.

Though it’s difficult to determine whether Johnson’s shot is truly “back” (assuming it was “there” in the first place), the intangibles that he has displayed on the floor so far more than justify his return to the roster over Withey.

Gordon Hayward’s untimely injury adds further reason to keep Chris Johnson on board to add depth at the small forward position. Though Utah has a number of guys who can help fill the void left by Hayward, Johnson will add further reassurance and a strong defensive safety net that Utah can turn to if need be.

In regards to the depth that Withey brings, all summer long I felt that the Jazz needed to maintain Withey in order to shore up their depth at the center position. However, after watching this team play in the preseason, I’ve come to a different conclusion.

In Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors the Jazz truly have one of the most daunting paint presences in the league. True, they need to remain healthy for that to stay in tact, but for the most part Utah has all the size and length it needs down low in its starting bigs. What it truly needs in the second unit are guys that will reinforce the Jazz against the ever-trending small lineups that are currently taking over the league.

The Jazz have exactly these kind of guys in Boris Diaw, Trey Lyles, and even Joel Bolomboy. Bolomboy has a long ways to go, but watching his preseason performance so far has solidified my opinion that Withey’s presence is no longer necessary on the team. What Bolomboy lacks in size compared to Withey, he makes up for in athleticism, quickness, rebounding, and leaping ability.

In three preseason games, Bolomboy has shot an impressive 6 of 7 from the field and has been exceptional at attacking the rim and gathering boards. Diaw and Lyles are bigs that will bring incredible versatility to Utah’s frontcourt, and if the Jazz suffer from frontcourt injuries like they did last season, though Bolomboy will be far from an ideal replacement in the second unit, he will be able to bring just as much or more than Withey could have and has a clearly higher ceiling.

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So while Withey has done his part and helped the Jazz in the wake of several injuries last season, his services are no longer all that vital to this Jazz squad.

And though I find myself somewhat surprised to be saying this, as the Utah Jazz look to make final roster cuts, they should waive Jeff Withey and hold on to Chris Johnson as the final piece of their 15-man roster.

All stats courtesy of ESPN.com

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