With the final month of the regular season underway, the name of the game for the Utah Jazz is development. With quite a few potential long-term prospects on the roster in Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh among others, the final weeks of the season are for them to show what they're capable of. But there is one player whom Jazz fans haven't seen much of this season in Jason Preston who should be included in that group.
Jason Preston signed a two-way contract with the Jazz back in January, but he's only appeared in one game this season. He's spent the majority of his time playing in the G League with Jazz's affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.
Preston joined the Jazz already having two years of NBA experience. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft but missed his entire rookie season due to a foot injury. He made his NBA debut with the Clippers during the 2022-23 season but was never able to crack a veteran-heavy rotation.
Facing a roster crunch, the Clippers cut Preston prior to the start of this season. Following a brief appearance in training camp with the Memphis Grizzlies, Preston was playing in the G League when the Jazz scooped him up. Although his first two seasons in the NBA didn't quite go as planned, there was still plenty he was able to learn.
“It was a lot of ups and downs,” Preston told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “A lot of stuff off the court like preparation, taking care of your body, eating right especially missing that whole first year. Really just maximizing my time off the court to perfect my on the court time.”
The majority of Jason Preston's opportunities to perfect his on the court time have been spent in the G League. When he was healthy last year, the Clippers assigned him to the Ontario Clippers for the majority of the season. It's been a similar situation with the Jazz this year.
Overall, Preston has appeared in only 15 NBA games in his career. He played 14 for the Clippers last year and one for the Jazz this year. But he's appeared in a total of 45 G League games the past two seasons. He holds G League career averages of 14.7 points per game, 8.2 rebounds and 9.0 assists.
Based on his experience, Preston believes the G League is a great place to develop your game if regular NBA minutes are scarce.
“Yeah it's a really great place, it's a place where you can focus exactly on what you need to get better at,” Preston said. “People are going to challenge you every day, you work on your game, so it's a really great opportunity to work on what you need to work on so when you get up to the next level, you already getting better at what you need to get better at.”
The one area of Jason Preston's game that has really stood out while on assignment for the Jazz in the G League has been his playmaking. Going back to his college days, he was always a strong playmaker. During his final two seasons at Ohio, he averaged 7.4 and 7.3 assists respectively.
Now as a pro, his passing could be the key to seeing an NBA court consistently. He's a pure point guard with a knack for setting up his teammates. He has a total of six triple-doubles this season including his most recent one on March 6 when he dropped 30 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists.
While it's obviously been an adjustment from college to the pros in terms of quarterbacking a team, Preston believes it all boils down to being able to read and react and adapt.
“It's always been something that I've had. It's basically just trying to pick and choose my spots based on whatever offense I'm in,” Preston said. “It's also being adaptable with my size and playing off ball, being a catch and shoot shooter whenever I'm ready as well.”
Looking at the Jazz depth chart, it's possible Jason Preston will get an opportunity to play next season. Keyonte George appears penciled in as the Jazz starting point guard of the future. But with Kris Dunn set to hit unrestricted free agency, the Jazz could be in the market for a backup point guard.
When Preston signed with the Jazz, he signed a two-year, two-way contract. It shows the team thinks enough of him that they feel he's worth keeping around. Nothing is ever guaranteed on a two-way contract, but it's a good sign for him. A lot probably depends on how he performs either during summer league and ultimately training camp and preseason, but there should be an opportunity for him to finally get real NBA minutes.
Preston looks at the current Jazz roster and all the young talent they have, and he can see himself playing an on court leadership role as a point guard should he get that chance. It's a role that he's been playing for the Salt Lake City Stars this season.
“This is another opportunity to lead,” Preston said. “We've got a really young team. We got a lot of guys that want to learn, so it's a great opportunity for me to be able to lead and be able to teach those guys.”
This is Preston's first time playing on a two-way contract. When the Clippers drafted him, he was on a standard rookie deal. Although the Jazz seem to think highly of him, stability is a little less certain on a two-way. Players are limited to only 50 NBA games and are not eligible to play in the playoffs.
It's a grind as well. NBA rosters are in a constant state of flux. Depending on team needs and injuries, two-way contract players can find themselves being shuffled back and forth constantly from the G League to the NBA, sometimes within the same day.
The name of the game is staying ready and staying consistent, and that's exactly what Preston plans to do.
“Like I was saying with off the court habits, just making sure I'm getting my sleep in, I'm getting my meals in and just trying to get my treatment in,” Preston said. “Just staying consistent. I can't control the schedule, I can just try to stay consistent with what I'm doing.”
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