Utah
Is Walker Kessler about to break out for the Utah Jazz?
It was just one game, but it was a fantastic one.
After an impressive rookie season that landed him third in ROY voting, Walker Kessler had a disappointing sophomore season that left a lot of fans in doubt of what he would become for the Utah Jazz. Playing almost identical minutes, Kessler went down in PPG, RPG, and FG%, The downward trend ended up losing him his starting role to John Collins.
Fast forward to this season and we’re already seeing something different.
Again, it’s one game, but Kessler punished Zach Edey and nearly helped lead the Jazz to a tank spoiler surprise victory.
Look at these numbers from basketball reference:
So much of last season seemed to stem from Kessler’s mentality. If he just played with more force and attitude he could have had a much more impactful season. It is very clear that’s what it will take this season also. If Kessler can just come out with confidence and force, there’s no reason he can’t solidify himself as a major part of the Jazz’s future. If he falls back into the passive play of last season, it could mean a lot of trade rumors and a question mark for the future. It all comes down to Kessler. Not many players get an opportunity like this, it would be a shame if Kessler didn’t take advantage.
SALT LAKE CITY — A California man in Utah, as part of his duties with the National Guard, is accused of trying to solicit sex from a young teenager.
Joshua Ruben Rodriguez, 29, of Fresno, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with attempted rape of a child, a first-degree felony, and enticement of a minor, a second-degree felony.
The investigation began when an agent with the Utah State Bureau of Investigation posed as a 13-year-old girl on a “popular social media site … in an attempt to locate and apprehend adults attempting to have sexual contact with children,” according to charging documents.
On April 16, Rodriguez sent the agent a message — believing he was talking to a teen girl — that stated, “I’ll be direct with you, I would like to get to know you and (have sex with) your mind into a daze to where you feel like a woman,” according to charging documents.
When the “girl” asked if he had a problem with her age, Rodriguez replied, “I don’t have a problem with your age,” the charges state.
The agent told Rodriguez to meet at an apartment complex in Salt Lake County where the girl lived, claiming her mother would be gone. When Rodriguez arrived, he was taken into custody, the charges state.
“(Rodriguez) does not have ties to Utah. He is a resident of Fresno, California. (He) was in town as part of his military service with the California National Guard,” prosecutors stated in charging documents while requesting he be held without bail pending trial.
ST. GEORGE, Utah (KUTV) — One person was hospitalized at the St. George Regional Hospital after a car rolled and caught fire just south of the Utah-Arizona border.
The Beaver Dam and Littlefield Fire Department in Arizona said its crews responded to the crash near the Black Rock Road exit – roughly two miles south of the state border – on Sunday night.
Upon arrival, crews put out the car fire and found the driver had left the scene. A single occupant, who was able to get out of the car on their own, was transported to the hospital by a Beaver Dam ambulance.
MORE | Crashes
Their condition has not been publicly released.
Details on what led to the crash and the condition of the driver were not immediately available.
The Beaver Dam and Littlefield Fire Department said law enforcement investigated the scene.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
_____
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz missed out on the NBA Playoffs, but still scored a big win thanks to a coin flip.
In Monday’s tiebreaker coin flip to determine who had the fourth-worst record in the league last season, the Jazz came out winners over the Sacramento Kings, who had the same 22-60 record.
Had the Jazz lost the coin flip, they would have been fifth in NBA Draft Lottery odds. Only the worst four teams are guaranteed to remain within the top eight of the lottery.
If Utah had fallen to fifth, there would have been the chance they could have dropped out of the top 8 teams in the lottery, and owed the draft pick to Oklahoma City, which was top-8 protected in a previous trade.
The Jazz now have an 11.5 percent chance to win the first overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 10.
-
Detroit, MI21 minutes agoChris Simms projects Detroit Lions first-round NFL draft pick
-
San Francisco, CA33 minutes agoSan Francisco sets $3.4B price tag for public takeover of PG&E
-
Dallas, TX39 minutes agoGame Day Guide: Stars at Wild | Dallas Stars
-
Miami, FL45 minutes agoMay a steadying presence as Cards hold off Marlins in Miami
-
Boston, MA51 minutes agoTyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe flex in Boston: Takeaways from Celtics-76ers Game 2
-
Denver, CO57 minutes agoMotorcyclist seriously injured in Denver hit-and-run crash – AOL
-
Seattle, WA1 hour agoBrock: 2 drafts fits at edge rusher for Seattle Seahawks
-
San Diego, CA1 hour agoJoseph Allen Oviatt – San Diego Union-Tribune