At the very least, Utah Jazz fans have these to be aware of.
It will be difficult for the Utah Jazz to play the remainder of the 2023–2024 season. After the NBA Trade Deadline, the team is already 0–4, and it appears that things will only get worse. Due to trade deadline trades that sent Ochai Agbaji, Kelly Olynyk, and Simone Fontecchio to the Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Suns, respectively, the team is without several crucial defenders. Otto Porter, the only valuable player they were able to get back, is probably headed for a buyout.
Leaving the Jazz with even fewer wings available for defense. The team will probably tank in the final quarter of this season in an effort to reclaim the first-round pick it now has in 2024—the Oklahoma City Thunder. If the pick is among the top 10, it returns to the Jazz; if not, it goes to the Thunder. In fairness, the Jazz are due a pick from the Thunder at some point, so if it’s not this year, it might be the following or the year after.
Fans should still look into a few things this season, even though a tanking season isn’t exactly what they want to watch. Ultimately, there are other reasons to watch basketball in general and the Jazz in particular outside the possibility of an NBA championship. Representing your team counts whether you win or lose, and even though we’re all quite angry about their current slump, there are still interesting topics to explore.
Is Will Hardy the right coach of the team?
The Utah Jazz appear to be headed in the right direction, but will Will Hardy be a part of that future? He’s been blatantly inconsistent and plain belligerent this season, it’s safe to say. The fact that he started Jordan Clarkson and Talen Horton-Tucker as starters and made other poor decisions contributed to the team’s early struggles. The squad struggled right from the start and didn’t improve until Collin Sexton and Kris Dunn were inserted into the starting lineup.
For several months, we observed Hardy providing numerous justifications for his lineups’ shortcomings. The Jazz will now go into “tank mode” and expect Hardy and his coaching staff to significantly increase their contributions to the team’s development. The development of Walker Kessler and the three rookies will be directly attributed to the staff. Can Hardy maximize the potential of the youthful players? We’ll find out in the last stretch, though.
Although there is no indication that he is under investigation, the NBA is subject to swift and unexpected changes. Perhaps Hardy is out of Salt Lake City sooner than anyone thought if the young players don’t step up, in addition to losing more games than he wins.
Can Walker Kessler find that next gear?
For the future of the team, Walker Kessler is just as crucial as Brice Sensabaugh, Taylor Hendricks, and Keyonte George. In his first almost two NBA seasons, he is the defensive powerhouse who has already had a significant impact on the squad. He’s showing a ton of promise, particularly in the defensive position where he’s one of the league’s best shot-blockers and a surprisingly adept ball handler for his stature.
His offensive style—or lack thereof—is the issue. He can influence put-back dunks and is an excellent rim runner, but he doesn’t offer much offensive support save occupying the dunker’s space down low in half-court offensive situations. He lacks a mid-range jumper, a hook shot, or a three-point shot to spare. His shooting ability is also restricted.
This season, when he is back in the starting lineup, Kessler will have to focus on improving the offense while he is on the floor. Now, if he can improve his passing, he might not need to get a shot going that goes in consistently—many big men get their minutes because of their passing abilities—but if Kessler wants to stay a starter and advance to All-Star status, as we all thought he could, he has to work on his offensive impact.
Rookie Development
For the remainder of the season, the three rookies’ growth will be the main priority. In order to see what Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, and—ideally—Brice Sensabaugh can do, the Utah Jazz are committed to giving them minutes this season. All three of the rookies and Lauri Markkanen aside, no player can be considered “untouchable” in future deals, but at least in the short term, their performances during the previous 20+ games should give us an indication of what they can become.
It will be interesting to observe how these three develop, especially if they all enter the court at the same moment. If something occurs, it might not be very attractive, but it might be thrilling. Still, there are significant gaps in all three. Hendricks only needs to be more aggressive while honing his shooting technique, while George needs to play better defense and shoot more efficiently. Sensabaugh’s only task is to make the most of the possibilities presented to him and improve his three-point accuracy. He can be a three-and-d player, but he needs to make his shots if he wants to play.
