Utah Jazz: Weber State’s Joel Bolomboy learns on the job in D-League with Stars

Los Angeles • Learn and apply is the mantra for Utah Jazz rookie Joel Bolomboy this season: Learn in one place. Apply in the other.

When the Jazz relocated their D-League franchise to Salt Lake City from Boise, Utah General Manager Dennis Lindsey said proximity was the opportunity to have a player shuttle between the Jazz and Stars with little trouble as one of the main advantages.

That plan is being executed with Bolomboy, the athletic rookie forward from Weber State. He often sits at the end of the Jazz's bench during games. He often goes to practice, takes his normal reps with coaches, and works on development. Then he plies his trade with the Stars on many nights the Jazz are off.

"It's been a good experience," Bolomboy said Tuesday night. "I get to go down and play. There aren't too many opportunities to get minutes [with the Jazz] because of the depth and how many good players there are on this team. So I'm just patiently waiting for my opportunity."

When Bolomboy is with the Stars, he's been dominating. In the past four games, Bolomboy has averaged 21.3 points, 18.3 rebounds, 3.3 blocks and 2 steals per game. He is shooting 61 percent from the field.

The key for Bolomboy has been the opportunity to play regular minutes. He has played in nine games for the Jazz, averaging 2.2 minutes per game. He has eight points overall on 3-of-5 shooting with 10 rebounds.

Being the 15th man on an NBA team can be a lonely experience. He often sits by himself in the locker room, either talking with an assistant or listening to music on his headphones. Part of this is Bolomboy is a quiet person in nature, but part is life as a rookie in the NBA.

So when Bolomboy goes and plays with the Stars, he's treated like — no pun intended — a star. He gets all of the minutes he can handle. The offense runs through him, and he gets the opportunity to work on different parts of his game.

"It's like trial and error," Bolomboy said. "The chance to play, it keeps me sharp, and ready and mentally engaged. It keeps me going. That helps me a lot, being able to watch these great players, see what they do and learn from them."

Closer to 100 percent

After a week of battling the flu, Jazz shooting guard Rodney Hood said Tuesday night he's feeling better. Hood is trying to regain the 10 pounds he lost due to illness.

Even though he played against Golden State and Toronto, the lack of strength rendered him ineffective.

"It was brutal, just going through it," Hood said. "I was feeling a little better against Toronto, but I just didn't have the legs."

Briefly

Jazz forward Derrick Favors made his first start on Tuesday night, since returning from a bone contusion in his knee. His minutes restriction was also loosened by the coaching staff. ... Lakers assistant Mark Madsen missed Tuesday night's game due to an emergency appendectomy.

tjones@sltrib.com

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