Gordon Chiesa, the former coach of the Utah Jazz, offers his opinions on why the players’ locker room is feeling this way regarding the deals.
Former Utah Jazz assistant coach Gordon Chiesa worked under Jerry Sloan for the majority of Sloan’s time with the team. His understanding of the game and what works and what doesn’t is very astounding. Chiesa may honestly state that he made a profession out of his ability to read rooms and figure out why things have happened the way they have.
Chiesa, a legendary coach in his own right, is now a highly sought-after analyst in Salt Lake City, where he provides analysis on the Jazz’s present situation. He spoke on the team’s difficulties on ESPN 700’s Billy Reily Show (via Sports Illustrated) recently. The squad was 0-2 at the time of the interview after the NBA Trade Deadline.
The talk centered on the possibility that the Jazz players that were left on the roster were angry with the team’s abrupt and unexpected direction change at the deadline. Without holding back, Chiesa stated that the teammates that stayed in Salt Lake City really loved the individuals who were traded, stating;
Kelly Olynyk is not only a highly skilled player but also well-liked. He was well-liked by his teammates. They enjoyed his company off the court and were enamored with his play as a floormate. Fontecchio seemed to have a spirit about him, even though he played with a lot of energy and hit several good shots. Although Ochai Abaji was a more experienced player, I’m sure the younger guys found him relatable.”
Chiesa is also not in error. This team had excellent chemistry, which is why they were able to dramatically turn around their season. Now, that synergy has been shattered by the front office for a few mid-tier draft picks that probably won’t be useful in the long term.
If the team struggles to develop players like Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton and ultimately needs to trade them, this will be remembered as one of the key instances when the Jazz basketball franchise made mistakes during this era.
Hopefully, that doesn’t turn out to be the case.
