This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
As he laid out his expectations this summer for second-year pro Trey Lyles, Jazz assistant coach Johnnie Bryant had to stop and correct himself.
"He's helping the younger guys," Bryant started before realizing the error, "the new guys, how to play the way we want to play."
At just 20 years old, Lyles is still the youngest player suiting up for the Jazz during their summer showcase. But coming off a productive rookie campaign, the former lottery pick should also be the team's star when things tip off Monday night at Vivint SmartHome Arena.
The smooth 6-foot-10 forward chuckled as he considered the jump he has made in the past year, since joining up with the Jazz last summer league after a brief contract holdup.
"I felt a lot better," he said with a smile. "A lot more comfortable. I'm just having a little more fun."
Now the Jazz will want to see that translate to the court.
Lyles played in 80 games and started 33 of them last season. He averaged 6.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in the process. For quality second-year pros like Lyles, summer league should be an easy enough refresher, a chance to work in a few new tricks while dominating against rookies and journeymen.
"I just want to continue to go out there and expand my game and continue to get better in different areas," Lyles said.
Lyles has been back in Salt Lake City for the past couple of weeks, working out with his teammates after spending time working out at P3 sports training facility in Santa Barbara, Calif., and undergoing his father's grueling workouts back home in Indianapolis.
Over the past couple of days, he's been able to get a look at rookie forward Joel Bolomboy and gauge the gap between first- and second-year players.
"He's pretty athletic," Lyles said. "He's springy. … He's a good player. He's got some learning to do offensively and defensively just like I did, too, but he's going to be all right."
The Jazz will expect Lyles to be more than all right, even as they experiment with different aspects of his game.
"We're going to use him in some different ways," Bryant said. "He's going to handle the ball a little bit more; obviously he has some perimeter skills, some playmaking skills."
Even after one day of practice, Bryant said, it was obvious to see the difference between Lyles and players going through the process the first time.
"He's way more comfortable out there," Bryant said. "He's thinking the game, he's feeling the game."
Because of that, the Jazz will also expect Lyles to lead.
"We want him to be a leader, a vocal leader," Bryant said, "and help the young guys."
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