Lesser-known players getting chance to impress Jazz, Wizards

For players trying to stick in the NBA, injuries have opened opportunities to make a splash with the Utah Jazz.

Utah has been getting meaningful minutes from players on 10-day contracts heading into Wednesday night’s game against the Washington Wizards in Salt Lake City. The Jazz have been able to plug players into an injury-depleted roster while giving them a chance to earn a permanent NBA roster spot in the near future.

Bez Mbeng, who graduated from Yale last year, made his NBA debut on March 13. He is on his second 10-day contract with the Jazz and, through six games, averages 4.2 points, 3.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals over 31.0 minutes per game. Mbeng had 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting to go with seven assists and six rebounds in his first career start Saturday against Philadelphia.

Kennedy Chandler, who had a small role for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022-23 as a rookie, has been an immediate revelation for Utah. Chandler, 23, signed a 10-day contract on Saturday and has averaged 16.0 points, 6.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in his first two games with the Jazz. He posted a career-high nine assists to go with 13 points in a 143-127 loss to Toronto on Monday.

“There are definitely moments that are surprising in a fun way, but desperation is a heck of a thing,” Utah coach Will Hardy told the Deseret News. “And I think when people get opportunities like this, that are very finite — you signed a 10-day contract — you can treat that like a sprint. I think that all of the guys that we’ve had on 10-days this year have been outstanding.”

Ace Bailey also came up big for the Jazz in the loss to the Raptors, pouring in a career-high 37 points. Bailey has averaged 19.4 points per game in 14 games since the NBA All-Star break. He also has shot 40.2% from 3-point range while hitting 3.5 threes per game over that stretch.

“I still want to learn,” Bailey told KSL.com. “There’s a lot for me to learn, so I feel like I’m always open to learn. You just, obviously, want to be the best, and it comes with work.”

Washington has lost 16 straight games coming into Salt Lake City, which means a defeat against the Jazz will set the franchise record for longest losing streak. Wizards opponents have averaged 130.6 points per game over their last 10 contests.

Like the Jazz, many key Washington players are sidelined with injuries and it has opened a door for other players to make their mark. Tristan Vukcevic is one of those players.

Vukcevic has made a name for himself as an outside shooter and interior defender over the past two months. He shot 48.4% from 3-point range (15 of 31) in February and has hit 41.5% (17 of 41) from beyond the arc in March. Defensively, Vukcevic has contested 10.9 shots per 36 minutes this season.

The 7-footer’s increased activity on defense and efficient shooting on offense give him a real chance to stick with the Wizards beyond this season.

“The one thing I’ve always been impressed with Tristan, and that was from Day 1, when he walked into our gym here two years ago, is that he’s not scared,” Washington coach Brian Keefe told the Athletic. “He’s played in all types of environments in his life. There’s no fear from him. He’s going to attack the game.”

Utah won the previous meeting, beating the Wizards 122-112 on March 6 behind 32 points from Bailey.