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There are a lot of differences between Summer League basketball and NBA basketball.
Most obviously, the talent level is wildly different. Of course some of the league’s most impressive rookies from the 2026 draft class are on summer teams, but the rosters are filled out with guys who will likely never sniff an NBA roster and will spend most of their time on a G League squad or overseas.
But there are also differences that really matter, especially when it comes to Darryn Peterson and how his performances are being evaluated and watched by Utah Jazz fans.
First, the time spent with teammates is drastically shorter than in the NBA. In the Jazz’s case, some people might think that because they participated in Salt Lake City Summer League that they would have a little more chemistry than some of the other teams that were playing together for the first time in Las Vegas, but the Jazz’s summer roster changed between Salt Lake and Las Vegas.
“We had four new guys playing — and they should play — but it’s a lot to ask to meet new guys the morning of a game and try to be a coherent unit,” Jazz assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski said after the Jazz’s opening game in Vegas. “This is not an NBA team with training camp and all of those things. I mean, you’re, in some respects, throwing these guys into the fire.”
A lack of time together and chemistry will lead to turnovers and missed plays and miscommunications. So, don’t judge any team, the Jazz included, if things seem a little disjointed.
Another difference, which is really important, is that teams are able to key in on certain players defensively in a way that just won’t happen during the regular season.
Yes, we see double-teams and blitzes in the NBA, but it doesn’t happen on every possession and it usually isn’t a rookie that is consistently seeing the most aggressive defense. But in Summer League, a team can afford to throw those things at a player like Peterson.
Once the regular season starts, Peterson is going to be on the court alongside guys like Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Keyonte George. The opposing teams are going to have their hands full and they won’t be able to use all of their defensive energy to try to get the ball out of Peterson’s hand the way they have been through these summer contests.
So, while we are getting some first glimpses of what to expect from these top draft picks, we are not seeing a full picture.
New with the Jazz
From the archives
Extra points
- Looking at Jazz deal to send Walker Kessler to the Lakers from all sides (Deseret News)
- NBA decides Keyonte George coaching role goes against the rules (Deseret News)
- Darryn Peterson was as advertised in his summer league debut for the Jazz (Deseret News)
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