Former UCLA star turned deadly in huge area

When Johnny Juzang declared for the 2022 NBA draft, no one really knew what to expect.

Juzang had a few good seasons for the UCLA Bruins, averaging 16 and 15.6 points per game, respectively, in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

However, due to some of Juzang’s deficiencies in key areas (like defense), there were legitimate concerns that he could come to fruition at the professional level.

Well, now we have our answer.

Juzang ultimately went undrafted, but he signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz in July 2022. After barely playing during his rookie campaign, Juzang developed into a prominent role late in the season. last year, participating in 20 competitions and averaging 7.2 points. per game throughout the streak.

More importantly, Juzang was very efficient, shooting 46.4 percent from the floor and 41.6 percent from three-point range. That led to the 6-foot-7 wing sign an extension with Jazz.

This year, the 23-year-old has carved out a clear niche for himself for Utah, as he has played in 32 games and posted 7.3 points in 17.8 minutes per night with shooting times of 41.8/ 40.0/88.0.

Yes, the overall field goal percentage could use a little work, but this is the second straight campaign the UCLA product has shot 40 percent or better from downtown.

Juzang has been particularly hot from distance since December, as he hit 46.6 percent of his triples last month and also got off to a good start in January, hitting 40 percent of his attempts from long range.

In today’s NBA, being able to spread the floor is paramount, so Juzang will absolutely be able to stay as long as he keeps up his marksmanship.

Will Juzang one day be able to become a reliable starter over a competitor? That’s up for debate, considering he still hasn’t expanded his offensive repertoire beyond perimeter shooting, and while he’s shown improvements defensively, he needs a lot of work.

However, there is no doubt that Juzang is establishing himself as a legitimate NBA talent and should absolutely be able to have a sustained career in the league with his very impressive skill set.

Be sure to follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI And @tcav30 and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know what you think when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK HERE.