Dekker Works Out For Utah Jazz, Hollis-Jefferson Not So Much by Ryan Aston

Real Madrid point guard Sergio Rodriguez.

In Dante Exum, Trey Burke and Bryce Cotton, Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder has a trio of promising, young point guards at his disposal. Nonetheless, the group’s collective production at the position made it the weakest area on the floor for the team last season.

One free agent option for bolstering that point guard unit could be Real Madrid point guard Sergio Rodriguez. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the former first-round draft choice and four-year NBA player could be eyeing a return to the Association.

Top Euroleague point guard Sergio Rodriguez planning return to NBA, @WojYahooNBA reports. http://t.co/WopSM9T8E9 pic.twitter.com/vvL2fsZ3n8 — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 19, 2015

While remaining optimistic that the Jazz could improve from within at the point guard spot, GM Dennis Lindsey has made plain the fact that the team can’t survive if the group continues its current level of production—

“Clearly from a baseline level of production, it has to improve. We have to evaluate each player and talk about development. But there’s no reason it can’t improve with the three players we have who are all good kids and very good workers.”

Lindsey is absolutely correct in his assessment that the pieces already in place on the Jazz roster could have the game, the talent and the work ethic needed to turn it around in 2015-16. Some would go so far as to say that Burke and Exum both could become star point-men in the league.

But will they?

I, for one, like all three of the point guards currently on the Jazz roster. They have each handled themselves with the utmost professionalism during their time with the Jazz on and off of the court. Still, if the team is to make a playoff push next season, a veteran influence may be necessary.

While Rodriguez’ performance as an NBA player was something of a mixed bag, there were definitely indicators for future success. In his 285 career games, the 29-year-old boasted an assist percentage of 35.4. That number would have been good for 11th in the league in 2014-15.

Since returning to Spain, Rodriguez has evolved into one of the better point guards in Europe. Moreover, his once-inconsistent three-point shot (which actually improved every year he was in the league) rose to around 39 percent in ACB and Euroleague play last season.

That’s not to say that he’s Stephen Curry out there, nor will he ever be. What he is, however, is a true hardwood quarterback; an experienced player who can operate in the pick-and-roll and has worked himself into somebody defenses must at least consider from behind the arc.

As Lindsey intimated, the answer to the point guard question may still lie within. Nonetheless, a veteran presence in the vein of Rodriguez could be an important piece to a Utah Jazz team on the rise.