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Cleveland • Through three weeks, moments of brilliance for Trey Lyles in his NBA rookie season have been fleeting.
There have been missed defensive rotations. There are rebounds he should grab that end up in the arms of an opponent. There are struggles on both ends that make it clear he's a rookie trying to find his way.
And then, there are moments where he shows why the Jazz made him a lottery pick last June.
Take Tuesday, for example. Lyles set a pick for Alec Burks and faded to the 3-point line. Burks drove to the rim, sucked the Cleveland Cavaliers defense in, and found Lyles behind the arc, who was wide open. The 6-foot-10 forward from Kentucky didn't hesitate — and swish, the Jazz took a 76-75 lead over the Cavs, their first since the opening quarter.
In two weeks, there haven't been enough of these moments for Lyles. But when they happen, they are noteworthy, as is Jazz coach Quin Snyder's confidence and belief that his rookie will develop and become a viable cog in the rotation.
"It feels good to be here and feels good to be on this team," Lyles said. "To be in this position, doing what I've grown up always dreaming of doing is a great thing. The biggest adjustment for me on the floor is just dealing with the strength of the guys. Guys are grown men at this level, and have been in the league for a while, so I have to continue to get used to that."
Snyder's use of Lyles has been a discussion topic. He's played sparingly so far, but he's absolutely a part of Utah's second unit. Snyder is playing him a sizeable chunk of minutes at center, something Lyles hasn't done since his high school days in Indiana.
Snyder's reasoning is simple: he wants to create mismatches in his second unit. Lyles is supremely skilled at his size (6-foot-10), able to play facing the basket, put the ball on the floor and get by people. He's also a good passer and a capable shooter. So, skill-wise, Lyles is fine.
Where he's getting into trouble is defensively and rebounding. But Snyder likes Lyles' versatility and intelligence enough that he's going to keep feeding him minutes off the bench.
"His biggest challenge right now is learning all the positions that we want him to play," Snyder said. "He has a lot of info for a rookie that he has to take in, but he's an intelligent player and he doesn't seem to be overwhelmed. Hopefully we can find a few ways for him to be effective defensively, and offensively as well."
Lyles' adjustment to the Jazz and Utah in general is a work in progress. He says he hasn't had much of a chance to explore the city because his schedule won't allow it. He's quiet by nature, preferring to analyze his surroundings before speaking, which often makes him quiet in the lockerroom. He's handling his rookie hazing with aplomb — the trademark pink backpack, distributing shoes to his veteran teammates during game days and going on the occasional doughnut run.
But basketball is his constant, and finding a way to negotiate through the maze of information being thrown his way is his main goal. The stats are modest for Lyles: one point per night with a career-high of four points last week against the Denver Nuggets. But if anything, his shot against Cleveland should serve as a positive sign. In one shot, he showed he isn't afraid of the moment.
"He's a very intelligent basketball player," Jazz forward Gordon Hayward said. "He has a lot of skills as a player. He can step up and hit the three, he can take guys off the dribble. It will happen for him, he has to get on the floor a little bit more. He's going to be alright."
twitter: @tjonessltrib —
Trey Lyles at a glance
• Has played in all seven games for the Jazz this season, with a season-high of nine minutes against the Indiana Pacers
• Has played many of his minutes at center, something he hasn't done since high school
• Has been coming off the bench because of his versatility
Jazz at Heat
P Thursday, 5:30 p.m., MST
At American Airlines Arena, Miami
TV • ROOT —
Jazz at Heat
P Thursday, 5:30 p.m., MST
At American Airlines Arena, Miami
TV • ROOT
Radio • 1280 AM
Records • Jazz 4-3; Miami 5-3
Season series • First meeting
About the Jazz • Utah showcased its balanced scoring against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, placing six players in double-figures. … Rudy Gobert is day-to-day with a sprained ankle that cost him most of the fourth quarter against the Cavs. Gobert says he wants to play against the Heat. … Utah scored 114 points against Cleveland, marking a season-high offensive output for the Jazz. It's the first time this season Utah has scored 100 points or more. …If Gobert does play, his matchup against Hassan Whiteside will feature two of the top rim protectors in the NBA.
About the Heat • Miami traded Mario Chalmers to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday for Beno Udrih and Jarnell Stokes. Chalmers served as a starter on the Heat teams that won consecutive NBA titles. … Udrih will face the Jazz on Thursday for the second time in five days. Utah defeated the Grizzlies last Saturday in Salt Lake City. … The Heat are 3-0 this season against the Western Conference, their most impressive win over the West coming against the Houston Rockets. … At 5-3, Miami is second in the Southeast Division, trailing only the Atlanta Hawks.