NBA Draft results 2015: Trey Lyles picked by Utah Jazz
Trey Lyles is headed to Utah.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Another Kentucky Wildcat is off the board, as big man Trey Lyles was selected by the Utah Jazz with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Lyles joins top pick Karl-Anthony Towns and No. 6 pick Willie Cauley-Stein as the third Kentucky Wildcat drafted in the top 12.
One of several monster recruits to join Kentucky before the 2014-15 season, Lyles played a key role in the team's historic run to a 38-0 record before losing to Wisconsin in the Final Four. Like the other Wildcat stars, he rarely put up big numbers, but contributed to a team effort that was as devastating as college basketball has seen in years.
Lyles averaged nine points and five rebounds per game playing mostly small forward during his one season in Kentucky, although some of his best efforts came during SEC play and the NCAA Tournament. He set a career-high by scoring 18 points against Mississippi State on Feb. 25, then followed it up a few days later by matching that figure in a win over then-No. 18 Arkansas. In the NCAAs, he recorded a double-double against Cincinnati and had 14 points in a blowout win over West Virginia.
SLC Dunk, SB Nation’s Jazz blog, says fans shouldn’t be disappointed even if they weren’t expecting Lyles.
I think this is pretty fine, on it’s own, because it fits in well with what the team is trying to do. It’s just a downer because most Jazz fans were interested in getting someone a little more overtly dynamic, or perhaps someone they liked was picked just a few spots earlier. Either way, though, I don’t think Jazz fans should be upset.
Lyles knows what it's like to play on a team full of talented young players, and that's the situation he enters in Utah. The Jazz already have a stacked young frontcourt with Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors anchoring things, making Lyles something of a luxury as a third big off the bench with star potential. Lyles isn't the same caliber of athlete as Gobert and Favors, but at No. 12, it's a sensible move to add depth.
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