The fifth loss of the season has taken a special toll on the Utah Jazz. The disastrous image shown against the Minnesota Timberwolves on both sides of the field deepened the numerous doubts that assail fans about the team’s real chances of competing. There was talk of the possibility of fighting for the playoffs, but, for now, the level of play is more typical of a team that aspires to be Top 5 in the draft.
One of the first to raise his voice was coach Will Hardy, who had no qualms about harshly criticizing his players. Firstly, he pointed out the lack of commitment of some of the members of the staff and the need to prevent each of them from waging war on his behalf. He did not share specific names, but it is evident that he was referring to the offensive chaos that the ‘guards’ of the Jazz in the second half. “Everyone has to be willing to give something of themselves and also to give it up if necessary to win,” Hardy declared during the post-match press conference. “There is a big difference between wanting to win and wanting to win your way.”
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On the other hand, the Jazz coach highlighted the team’s worrying defensive passivity: they currently rank 27th in defensive ratio. “We have too many moments where we’re not doing a good job on on-ball defense,” Hardy continued. «We are not doing a good job through our secondary defenders. Activity has been quite mediocre in general. […] Concentration must be maintained throughout the possession and throughout the game. And they have to be the five players who are on the court. If you have one or two players who are mentally disconnected, it is very difficult to play defense in the NBA.”
Several members of the Jazz squad delved into the problems they are detecting on the court. Both Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler stated that communication between the players, especially in defense, is being very bad. At older times, the ‘sophomore’ He anticipated possible chemistry problems on the track. “Our communication needs to improve. It is also simply a matter of chemistry, playing more together understanding that you have to talk, also on the defensive side,” the center acknowledged.
The Jazz began the 2023-24 season with several challenges on the horizon, among which were the adjustment of John Collins, the adaptation of the three rookies from the draft and the establishment of a rotation that would return positive results. Now, in addition, Hardy is running into a dangerous obstacle, because if those chemistry problems that Kessler cites are transferred to the locker room, they can lead to a bad environment that is difficult to reverse.
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At the moment, players like Ochai Agbaji, Kris Dunn, Kelly Olynyk or Kessler himself are beginning to fade away in this negative trend of play and results, showing a level well below what they are capable of achieving on the court. And that is something that the coaching staff has to put a stop to as soon as possible.
(Cover photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
2023-11-06 18:00:00
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