Minutes before the NBA trade deadline, the Utah Jazz pulled the trigger on swingman Ronnie Brewer. As a fan favorite and a “little brother” to much of his teammates, the Brewer trade was unpopular in the locker room to say the least. Many of the Jazz players are sad to see one of their friends leave, but each realizes the NBA is as much a business as any other company.
Much to the chagrin of the other two guards on the Jazz roster, a spot in the starting lineup and extra minutes are now available. What does this mean for former Wolverine Ronnie Price, who spends most of his time backing up Deron Williams?
It means Jazz fans may see Price get more minutes as shooting guard with Williams on the floor at the same time. While the majority of the minutes will go to rookie Wesley Matthews, CJ Miles and Kyle Korver, the window has opened a little wider for Price to squeeze through.
In a blowout win over the Golden State Warriors a day after the trade was made, Price entered the game near the end of the first quarter as he usually does. However, when D-Will returned to the game in the second quarter, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan moved Price to the two and played his two point guards together for an extended stretch during the quarter.
What Price brings to the team is toughness and hustle, and, regardless of what position he plays, the Jazz need him on the court in certain situations. When the team is lagging and the Jazz need a spark, Price is the man Sloan has turned to in the past. With Brewer out of the picture, Price should see an influx in his contribution.
