Darryn Peterson needed only one preseason game to settle in with the Utah Jazz. After the rookie's 23-point outing against the Denver Nuggets, two former NBA champions on ESPN's NBA Today went as far as comparing him to one of the most explosive scorers of his era.

Iman Shumpert, who won a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, admitted he might be a little biased given his recent work alongside Gilbert Arenas. Still, he could not shake the resemblance.

“He reminds me a lot of Gilbert, and you know, he's still got some ways to go,” Shumpert told the panel. “But he can get there, and if he can become Gilbert Arenas, that's a damn good player.”

"He reminds me a lot of Gilbert [Arenas]." 👀 @DGreen_14 and @imanshumpert are bullish on Jazz rookie Darryn Peterson 😤 pic.twitter.com/wqrgz39VeY

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 7, 2026

Arenas, the three-time All-Star known as “Agent Zero,” was one of the league's most dangerous scorers during his peak with the Washington Wizards. Shumpert pointed to how smoothly Peterson gets downhill, attacks with his right hand and keeps his shoulders square, traits that drew the comparison.

Danny Green, a three-time champion, joined Shumpert in praising the rookie. The panel singled out Peterson's pace and his comfort operating out of ball screens, noting that he keeps defenders on his hip, stays balanced and can still get his shot off.

The No. 2 overall pick backed up the praise on Tuesday night at the Delta Center. Peterson scored 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting with three rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes, though the Jazz fell 117-106. He went just 1-of-6 from deep, but the panel was more impressed by how efficiently he created his looks inside the arc.

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The performance was a sharp turnaround from the preseason opener against the same Nuggets on Sunday, when Peterson managed only three points on 1-of-5 shooting in a 109-97 win. Will Hardy admitted Peterson “wasn't himself” in that first outing.

Peterson also showed flashes during Summer League, averaging 23.0 points, 5.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds across five games. He was especially sharp in Salt Lake City, where he put up 26.5 points per game on 52.8% shooting.

After a college season at Kansas that drew plenty of noise away from the court, the conversation is finally shifting back to basketball. If the early returns are any indication, it should stay there.