When the Utah Jazz inked lottery bust turned EuroLeague Final Four MVP Ekpe Udoh last year, no one really knew what to expect from the big man. Would he be the guy that some would say washed out of the NBA in 2015 or “one of the best defenders in the world,” as he anointed himself during the 2017 preseason?
Turns out the former No. 6 overall pick — and the 12th-ranked player in our Jazz preseason player rankings this year — knew the score all along.
Although Udoh wasn’t always a consistent part of Jazz coach Quin Snyder’s rotation last season, he was a defensive force when he did find his way onto the court.