Johnny Juzang is an undrafted rookie out of UCLA who now plays for the Utah Jazz on a two-way contract. He’s currently playing and developing his game in Utah’s G-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.
The Los Angeles, California native was a four-star recruit from Harvard Westlake School in LA. He eventually chose to play for John Calipari at the University of Kentucky over Virginia.
Juzang didn’t see much playing time in his freshman year as he had to play behind two blue-chip Kentucky guards. Current Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey and New York Knicks backup playmaker Immanuel Quickley took the lion’s share of the minutes.
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Johnny Juzang played only 12.3 minutes per game and averaged 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds. He made 37.7% of his shots, including 32.6% from deep. The lack of playing time pushed him to transfer to his hometown collegiate team, the UCLA Bruins.
The change of scenery did wonders for Juzang’s collegiate career as he was a regular in head coach Mick Cronin’s lineup. He averaged 15.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in two seasons with UCLA. Juzang also shot 43.7% from the field, making 35.7% of his three-point attempts.
Juzang had his best year in college in 2021 when he led the UCLA Bruins to the Final Four. He scored 28 of UCLA's 51 points in a huge upset over No. 1 seed Michigan. The shooting guard then torched the top-seeded Gonzaga in the semifinals, scoring 29 points and nearly leading the Bruins to another massive upset.
Despite Johnny Juzang’s spectacular Final Four stint, his draft outlook did not excite him. He decided to play for another year for the Bruins to improve his stock but ended up battling injuries. Juzang couldn’t lead his team to another Final Four as they lost in the Sweet Sixteen to North Carolina.
Why was Johnny Juzang not drafted?
The stats prove that Johnny Juzang had a better season in his first year with the Bruins compared to his second one. A nagging ankle injury might have been the biggest reason that he wasn’t as effective in 2022.
The same ankle injury that caused him to struggle was also part of the reason why no NBA team picked him in the 2022 draft. Juzang wasn't considered a solid defender coming out of college as he lacked both foot speed and strength.
If he had trouble containing slower and weaker opponents in college, he would obviously take time to adjust in the NBA. The good thing going for Juzang, though, is that he has the size (6-foot-5) to go with a 6-foot-11 wingspan to succeed in the pros.
It wasn’t lost on scouts, however, that Johnny Juzang was a gifted scorer and could become a solid rotation piece for an NBA team. He grabbed a spot on the Utah Jazz’s Summer League team before eventually signing a two-way contract.
The former Bruin will need to become stronger and develop better defensive skills to make his mark in the NBA. Utah is not in a win-now mode despite its great start to the 2022-23 NBA season. At some point, they could trade some of their veterans and tank for french phenom Victor Wembanyama.
If that’s the route the Jazz are taking, Johnny Juzang may be able to showcase his wares in the pro sooner than expected.
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