Enes Kanter vows to take the next step with Utah Jazz – NBA Update
When Utah Jazz drafted Enes Kanter with their third overall pick in the 2011 draft, they knew that there is still a lot of work to be done before the big starts living up to his potential.
It pretty much turned out to be the case but now coming in to play the Las Vegas Summer League; Kanter has vowed to improve his game significantly and prove to be a valuable asset to the Jazz organization.
"I'm trying hard to improve my game during this time," Kanter said as reported by Desert News. "In the Summer League, I have the chance to play more minutes and have more responsibility. I'm trying to play my best."
Kanter suffered a major setback when he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA to play for the University of Kentucky in the 2010-2011 season. Even after getting drafted into the NBA by Utah, he could not get the much needed playing
time because of the lockout. The row between the league and NBPA meant that the players were not allowed to interact with their teams and use their training facilities. When the season started, most of the rookies seemed out of place and took time to get going.
That was something the coaches could not have afforded in a 66 game season and the best option for them was to used their more tested options.
However, the horrid first season is now behind Kanter, and he is looking to make the most of the minutes he is going to get during the summer league. The Turkish star is ready to take the next step to become a formidable force
in NBA.
"It was rough, not playing," Kanter said. "First I couldn't play for Kentucky. Then the lockout happened. Then the shortened season happened. But now I'm working to play more minutes and play a lot better."
Kanter has played two games so far in the summer league. He could only manage a 1 of 7 performance against the Detroit Pistons on Monday but immediately bounced back to notch up 10 points and 8 rebounds in the following game against
Philadelphia 76ers.
Having faced many setbacks in the path to progress since college, Kanter has become familiarized with the amount of dedication required to be a professional basketball player. He has also vowed to improve on his quickness during
the off season;
"I've learned a lot of things about basketball throughout the season," Kanter said. "Little things like not bringing the ball down when I rebound and make quick moves when I have the ball. But I've also learned to communicate with
my coaches and teammates, and that helps me."
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