Utah Jazz Fan Favorites And Glue Guys From The Last Decade

Tuesday afternoon, NBA veteran Trevor Booker announced his retirement from basketball at age 32. Happy trails, Book!

Booker retires as a consummate NBA roleplayer, one diehard Utah Jazz fans know and love well. His retirement got us thinking: Who are some other recent glue guys, fan favorites and roleplayers who have made their way through the Jazz organization?

There’s no science whatsoever behind the list that follows, though we’re looking for guys who donned a Jazz uniform within the last decade or so. We crowdsourced some suggestions from Jazz fans on social media, then mixed those in with a healthy dose of subjectivity. This is not an ordered ranking of any kind; as Booker is the man of the hour, though, we’ll lead off with him.

Trevor Booker (Jazz tenure: 2014-16 – 6.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists in 20.2 MPG)

It’s almost shocking when you look back and realize Booker only played two seasons with the Jazz. It felt like a lot longer.

Booker was always a bench guy, but he embodied the heart-and-soul approach many Jazz fans adore. He dove for loose balls, snarled at opponents, screamed after big dunks or blocks. He’d mix it up in the more serious stuff, too, if you needed him to.

He actually shot 33% from three in Utah, by far the best of any of his NBA stops. Quin Snyder loved him as a change-of-pace big back when you could still get away with playing two non-shooting frontcourt guys at the same time.

Booker also sank not only the best in-game trick shot in Jazz history, but arguably in NBA history:

Don’t forget about another of his trick shots that didn’t count for points, but should have:

Four other fanbases probably have the same kinds of memories featuring Booker. Enjoy your next chapter, big guy.

Paul Millsap (Jazz tenure: 2006-13 – 12.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists in 27.4 MPG)

What a fascinating career Millsap has had. The 47^th overall pick in the 2006 draft, he entered a league where being a tweener forward was a thought of as a bad thing – and is now a veteran in one where it’s desirable.

He was only a roleplayer for a couple seasons, quickly becoming a fan favorite as an undersized forward who won three NCAA rebounding titles. He averaged 4.5 offensive boards per-36-minutes as a rookie at 6-foot-7!

As the years went on, though, it was clear Millsap was much more than a glue guy. He was a permanent starter by the turn of the decade, peaking with a three-year stretch of 16 and 8 from 2010 through 2013, his final year in Utah.

There are so many individual memories with Millsap. A 46-point masterpiece in Miami against the LeBron Heat in 2010 – still a career-high to this day – culminated with a ridiculous 11 points in 28 seconds to send the game to overtime, where the Jazz eventually won.

He’ll be beloved forever in Utah.

Jeremy Evans (Jazz tenure: 2010-15 – 3.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists in 10.8 MPG)

Evans was never able to turn his immense physical potential into a consistent NBA role, which is too bad. He was a burst of energy anytime he was on the court, best exemplified by this legendary sequence:

Evans also won a dunk contest. He has a case as one of the more underrated dunkers of his generation, honestly.

Jae Crowder (Jazz tenure: 2018-19 – 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists in 27.2 MPG)

Crowder is now with his sixth NBA team, and his 100-plus games in Utah were eventful to say the least. Never shy about anything, from shooting every three available to talking trash in opponents’ faces, Crowder brought the grit every night.

He could get hot for stretches at a time. A few big games come to mind, including a 27-point effort in Game 5 against the Thunder in 2018 that should have helped clinch the series if not for a Jazz collapse:

Crowder was always a bit overrated as a one-on-one defender to this eye, but he was a big body to throw at the larger wings of the league. Teammates loved him, as did fans.

DeMarre Carroll (Jazz tenure: 2011-13 – 5.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists in 16.7 MPG)

Another who’d make a big impact on the Jazz faithful despite only spending two years in Utah, Carroll broke out with the Jazz in the 2011-12 season after being waived by several teams. He lived up to his nickname, “Junkyard Dog,” in a big way:

It’s interesting to look back and realize Carroll only shot 30% from three in Utah, though he’d get it up to 36% for his career elsewhere. Like Millsap, his best years would come later on in his career (and also, arguably, in Atlanta).

Honorable Mentions:

Wesley Matthews: Just a one-year Jazzman, but folks in Utah loved this guy. Matthews signed as an undrafted free agent in Utah before being lured away by a huge (at the time) offer sheet from Portland, setting the table for a long and productive NBA career.

Ronnie Price: Was Ronnie Price very good? No. But Ronnie Price was a great dude who gave 100% all the time, and that’s enough around these parts most of the time.

Elijah Millsap: Paul’s younger brother, he would have had a real chance at a long NBA career if that jumper had ever come around. He was a tenacious defender. Having his last name certainly didn’t hurt.

Boris Diaw: Diaw was the furthest thing from a traditional hustle or glue guy, but he’s Boris Diaw. He’s on the list. Everyone loves him.

Jamaal Tinsley: Several folks mentioned Tinsley in our online canvass, so he’s on the list. To this eye, no idea why. But Basketball Reference lists his nickname as “Mel Mel the Abuser,” so there’s that!

Joe Ingles: He’s a central piece now, but early in his career Ingles was absolutely a beloved glue guy type.

Raul Neto: Wolfie was always reliable for Quin Snyder across four years in Utah, filling in admirably for numerous injuries ahead of him – when he wasn’t hurt himself. Neto is a genuinely good guy, and it’s nice to see his NBA career still alive.

Jack Cooley: If you don’t know about Jack Cooley, go learn about Jack Cooley.