Utah Jazz’ Trevor Booker Shows Value Despite Loss To Houston Rockets
By Ryan Aston
@mrmarykateolsen
NBAE/Getty Images
The Utah Jazz kicked off their 2014-15 campaign tonight in a showdown with Dwight Howard, James Harden and the Houston Rockets. Alas, the team struggled down the stretch and (perhaps predictably) watched a close game fall out of reach. It was a tough loss for Utah in front of their home crowd, given the excitement surrounding the contest, but there were definitely positives that came out of the performance. Key among them was the play of Trevor Booker.
Playing in his first regular season game with the club after signing with Utah as a free agent, the former Washington Wizards forward provided energy and toughness on the court. In just over 23 minutes of play, Booker scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting and collected five rebounds. It was an encouraging result given the team’s bench struggles during the preseason.
Booker was so effective that Jazz coach Quin Snyder elected to let him play out the game’s final moments as the team attempted to make a comeback. Although the Rockets still prevailed, it was a sound decision given the struggles of Enes Kanter, specifically in his attempts to guard Howard. The Booker for Kanter substitution could become a common theme if Kanter continues to struggle defensively or has difficulty fitting into the new offense.
For his part, Booker seemed at home in Snyder’s system, meshing seamlessly with his new teammates, moving the ball well and taking the right shots at the right time. Some have compared Booker’s game to that of former Jazzman Paul Millsap. Booker may not ever reach Millsap’s All-Star level output, but his performance tonight definitely warrants the comparisons.
It remains a disappointing loss for a Jazz team that had hoped to take advantage of the Rockets on the second night of a back-to-back, but in a season when fans will often have to look to the silver lining for solace after a negative result, Booker’s game is something to be pleased with.
Ryan Aston covers the Utah Jazz for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @MrMaryKateOlsen or add him to your network on Google.
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