Vegas has not been kind to Utah before their game against Chicago, and their game against Chicago was not kind to those who decided to tune in and watch. This is the stat to best exemplify the struggle it was to get through this game – there were 54 fouls combined between both teams in 40 minutes of gameplay, which is 1.35 fouls every single minute, or a foul about every 45 seconds (although I am rarely heralded for my skills as a mathematician). This isn’t even an indictment on the officials – I couldn’t complain about most of the calls themselves as much as I could complain that the players were acting so recklessly. When the teams weren’t fouling, they were turning the ball over or missing shots; there were 39 turnovers between the teams, and they shot a combined 32% from the field.
While I just shifted some of the blame for the stinted gameplay away from the officials, it wasn’t just the players contributing to the tough watch – it was easy to tell that both the referees and even the announcers were going through an auditional Summer League as well. Erroneous flagrant reviews and long-winded conversations about horoscopes, combined with the obviously poor basketball, made it clear this game was a learning period for everyone.
However, no matter the ugliness of the gameplay and presentation, the Jazz finally came away with a win. They outscored the Bulls in each of the 4 quarters, and it never did feel too close. Utah was able to maintain consistent momentum by incessantly stealing the ball from Chicago – Hayden Grey and Trey Alexander ended the game with 4 and 6 steals, respectively.
The story of the day was obviously intended to be the battle between the #2 and #4 overall picks, but with Darryn Peterson resting on the bench, Caleb Wilson was set to star. He was largely a disappointment for the first 3 quarters of the game – his free throws weren’t dropping, his defensive motor waxed and waned (I think his 5 blocks overstate his defensive impact by just a bit), and he struggled to make his presence felt consistently on the offensive end. In the 4th quarter, however, he began to catch fire, scoring the majority of his points which were emphasized by the arena-electrifying dunk below.
Jonas Aidoo continued to impress on both ends for this Jazz Summer League squad. He’s clearly the best defensive anchor on the team, even if he did get detonated upon by Caleb Wilson. Additionally, he really impressed me with his hands on a few of his catches today – a lot of the offense is based upon a simple screen-and-roll, and he was able to take advantage by grabbing some genuinely difficult pocket passes. I wouldn’t hate a reallocation of our two-way contract spots that gives Aidoo a spot on the regular season team in 2026-2027. While he likely isn’t the level of player Jaxson Hayes or Mo Bamba are right now, the difference might be marginal and, with the younger Aidoo, there is still some room for improvement.
Hayden Gray also really impressed me, even if the box score was less-than-exceptional. Only 2 points and 5 assists, but it was clear that the offense ran much cleaner when he was the one at the top of the court running the show. Additionally, he was game-changing on the defensive end, where his 4 steals were LOUD – it seemed that the announcers couldn’t stop talking about how proactive Gray was in the passing lanes, and their praise was justified. While I’d like a more experienced third string ball-handler, Gray has shown me enough on both ends to the point that I wouldn’t hate keeping him around.
The mood of the win was dampened near the end of the 4th quarter. After what seemed to be an ordinary and completely commonplace foul by Caleb Wilson on a drive to the hoop, Trey Alexander collapsed behind the basket and had to be stretchered off the court in a neck-brace. I can’t see how his neck could’ve been injured on this play (video linked below), so if there are any doctors who regular SLCDunk, please explain below what might’ve happened to Utah’s newest two-way player. The play is especially scary due to the fact that it’s hard to diagnose with the naked eye, so prayers up for Trey.
The Jazz next play Wednesday at 7:30 MST against the Spurs. While a win is a win, let’s hope this next game is a more pleasant viewing experience.
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