After tons of first-round praise, Jazz add another gem with John Tonje

The Utah Jazz were considered by many to be the winners of the first round of the draft with the picks of Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. They added a steal in the second round by drafting John Tonje. Justin Zanik appears to have a great strategy in the draft, targeting high-upside players who can help the team not just next year, but also down the road.

Tonje’s value makes Utah’s second-round selection look like another savvy move

Analysts were very high on Utah taking Ace Bailey, even when it seemed like he wasn't that interested in working out for them and maybe even being a Jazz pick at all. However, they took the best player available and were excited to do so. The Jazz had the same strategy with Tonje. He was the best player on the board, according to ESPN, when the Utah pick was on the clock. So they did what they did with Bailey, took the best available.

Tonje is a veteran player with a ton of savvy win-now personality. He pairs well with Walter Clayton Jr. and may have found the sweet spot with the Jazz, as he will probably get playing time right away. The Jazz are one of the worst NBA teams and need help in every area. They've worked hard to address it in the draft.

Their first pick is more of a project, so they needed the other picks to be more immediately ready. So what did they do? They went and grabbed a national champion guard in Walter Clayton Jr., who is a leader and a scorer. Then they added John Tonje, who is already mature and a high-volume scorer. These two picks give them players right away to help, but Bailey gets to be a project they can work on.

The Jazz continues to win this NBA Draft with another great pick by grabbing Tonje.