The NBA season is fully underway, and former Kansas star Darryn Peterson is learning that the pro ranks are a lot tougher than the college ranks. After playing fairly well in NBA Summer League and the preseason, the regular season has been a different story for the No. 2 overall pick.
In four games, Peterson is averaging just 11.5 points, scoring double digits in just half of them. His highest-scoring game came against the New Orleans Pelicans when he dropped 15 points, going 6-for-12 from the floor, 1-for-2 beyond the arc, and a perfect 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
His most recent game against the Grizzlies and No. 3 overall pick Cameron Boozer was his second-best outing with 14 points, with a lower shooting percentage, going 5-for-18 from the floor, 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, and again a perfect 1-for-1 from the line. Jazz head coach Will Hardy isn't worried about Peterson finding his shot, but more so about the decision-making in his shots.
"Darryn probably feels like he is cold right now, and there are plenty of hot nights ahead," Hardy said. "For him to keep finding those shots is the most important thing. Right now we're really trying to harp on the decision-making. The physical ability to make shots isn't something we are concerned about."
Will Hardy on Darryn Peterson:
— Eric Spyropoulos (@EricSpyroNBA) October 27, 2026
"We want Darryn to continue to play his game... For him to keep finding those shots is the most important thing. Right now we're really trying to harp on the decision making." pic.twitter.com/4yGrUCYQJt
Darryn Peterson's limited college basketball experience could account for early NBA struggles
Peterson spent just one season at Kansas, and really, he didn't even play the whole season. It started with the hamstring injury that kept him out of the big game vs. Duke during non-conference play. Then it was the cramping issue, which he dealt with all season long. There was also an ankle injury and the flu-like symptoms he dealt with. All of that kept him out of 11 games.
That doesn't even account for the number of halves that he didn't play when he pulled himself out due to cramps. Now, he was a young kid trying to figure out what was going on with his body, and he chose not to play so as not to make matters worse, but that was time and experience on the court that he missed out on.
Looking at the other draft picks that surrounded Peterson, minus No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, who is dealing with an ankle injury and has yet to see the court in the regular season, all are performing better than Peterson.
Boozer is averaging 14.8 points per game, Caleb Wilson, who was the No. 4 overall pick, is averaging 21 points per game, and No. 5 overall pick Keaton Wagler is averaging 13 points per game. Wilson was the only other guy to not play as much during his freshman season due to a hand injury.
Now, I am not saying Peterson sitting out so much during his college career is the reason he isn't shooting the ball very well right now, but it certainly didn't help matters. Getting that experience, even at the college level, is crucial for these guys going into the NBA, and Peterson didn't get as much of that experience sitting on the bench by his own decision.
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