NBA Draft: Kansas guard Darryn Peterson selected No. 2 by Utah Jazz

The Jazz selected the Kansas guard with the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft on Tuesday night. The selection came after BYU star AJ Dybantsa went first overall to the Washington Wizards in what was one of the most anticipated drafts in NBA history.

Peterson arrived as a freshman at Kansas surrounded by hype as the No. 1 pick in this draft. An athletic, 6-5 combo guard with an explosive first step, Peterson’s an elite shotmaker whose ceiling as an NBA scorer has drawn comparisons ranging from Devin Booker to Kobe Bryant.

Peterson also possesses the tools to develop as a lock-down perimeter defender and All-Defensive selection at the next level.

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Peterson flashed his scoring upside amid limited availability at Kansas, particularly from 3-point range. In 24 games, Peterson averaged 20.2 points on 43.8% shooting from the floor and 38.2% shooting on 6.9 3-point attempts per game. He demonstrated high-level perimeter shooting whether creating off the dribble or catching and shooting as an off-ball guard.

Peterson averaged 1.4 steals and 0.6 blocks per game as a disruptive defender who filled passing lanes and challenged shots on the perimeter and at the rim, frequently creating transition opportunities for KU’s offense.

He has upside as a playmaker and passer, but averaged just 1.6 assists per game in Kansas as he played primarily as an off-ball guard.

Peterson will join a Jazz organization that has struggled in recent years. The team went just 22-60 last season and missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season. The team has selected inside the top 10 in each of the past four NBA Drafts, too, and took Ace Bailey at No. 5 last season.

While it’s been rough, Peterson will get to join a young core in Utah centered around Bailey, Jaren Jackson Jr. and star Lauri Markkanen for the start of his professional career.

Peterson didn’t always deliver on the hype as a rim attacker as his 43.8 field-goal percentage demonstrates. The explosion and finishing ability that littered his high school highlights weren’t always apparent at Kansas.

Peterson also missed 11 of KU’s 35 games and asked out of games in repeated late-game situations. He was limited to an average of 29 minutes in the games he did play.

With a chance to cement his NBA Draft status in the NCAA tournament, Peterson faltered alongside Kansas. Peterson led the Jayhawks with 21 points in a second-round loss to St. John’s. But he didn’t score in the final 5:43 of a close game and barely touched the ball down the stretch.

Following months of speculation over his diminished explosion and inconsistent availability, Peterson revealed in May that he’d been plagued by full-body cramping issues during his season at Kansas. The explanation failed to close the door on concerns that those issues could follow him from college to the NBA.

While he didn’t end up going No. 1 overall, Peterson’s two-way talent, scoring and athleticism were ultimately too tantalizing to let him slip past No. 2. His upside is that of the the best player from an elite class who can compete for scoring titles and repeated All-NBA selections.