The Utah Jazz are going to wait for a while before rookie Nigel Williams-Goss plays for them. According to reports, Williams-Goss will be spending time overseas before he makes his NBA debut. The former Gonzaga standout signed a two-year contract with Košarkaški klub Partizan (aka KK Partizan), a ball club based in Belgrade competing in a number of European leagues.
Williams-Goss was Utah's second-round selection in the 2017 NBA Draft. The Jazz used their 55th overall pick on the 22-year-old who was born in Oregon. Before the point guard joined the draft, he had a stellar season with Gonzaga.
In his lone year playing for the Bulldogs, he averaged 16.8 points, six rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. All those numbers, besides the assists, are his career-best in college. He was part of the Gonzaga team that reached the championship of the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels in that game, 71-65.
Good decision
Williams-Goss' decision to delay his NBA debut might turn out to be beneficial for him and Utah. For Williams-Goss, seeing action overseas will give him professional experience and the chance to polish his game. Meanwhile, it is a great move for the Jazz since they already have a full roster a month ahead of training camp.
If the rookie opted to play in Salt Lake instead, there would have been problems for both sides.
Point guard of the future
It is too early to say but Utah could be considering Williams-Goss as the franchise's main point guard in the future. As of the moment, the Jazz have Ricky Rubio, Dante Exum, and Raul Neto at the No. 1 position.
Rubio still has a lot of years left in him, but the possibilities that he will leave or get traded are always present. Exum, on the other hand, is only 22 years old, though in two seasons so far he is lackluster. Neto can provide quality minutes on the floor, but he is a backup at best.
Williams-Gross appears to be the best bet of the Jazz at point guard.
He has the potential to be the organization's next backcourt star after Deron Williams. The departure of Williams led to Utah having a different starting point guard almost each year. Last season, the Jazz had George Hill who looked like he was restoring stability at the position. Sadly, Hill left this summer to join the Sacramento Kings. The 31-year-old inked a three-year deal with the Kings that will earn him $57 million.
