The Utah Jazz's rocky 3-7 start to the 2025-26 season might leave fans frustrated, but head coach Will Hardy sees a silver lining that's impossible to ignore—his young squad is showing more promise than pitfalls right from the jump.
After wrapping up their initial 10 games (check out more on their offseason moves here: https://www.si.com/nba/jazz/onsi/news/utah-jazz-will-hardy-speaks-candidly-developing-ace-bailey), the Jazz have given everyone a solid glimpse into this fresh lineup built around emerging talent from the summer shake-up. For newcomers to basketball, think of this as the team's early test drive: a mix of exciting potential and areas that need fine-tuning to compete in the high-stakes NBA.
It's far from a flawless beginning for the Jazz, though there are bright spots peppered throughout that keep things interesting. On defense, they've made quiet strides forward—now ranking 12th league-wide in protecting the rim, which basically means they're better at stopping easy scores near the basket, like blocks and altered shots. But those old inconsistencies linger, echoing the defensive struggles that plagued them as the league's weakest unit over the last two years. Offensively, the big headache is their three-point shooting, where the ball just isn't finding the net as often as it should, leading to frustratingly low scores in key moments.
Yet, amid these highs and lows in this small early-season snapshot, Hardy pulls out one uplifting key insight: the good has outweighed the bad so far. 'I think overall, we've played more good basketball than bad basketball,' he shared ahead of their matchup with the Indiana Pacers. To break it down simply, even in a league where every possession counts, Hardy believes the team's overall effort and execution have been solid, despite the noise from rough patches.
But here's where it gets a bit controversial—while the defensive tweaks are promising, Hardy points out they're still vulnerable from beyond the arc. 'We're getting hurt from three right now, a little bit, and scrambling and contesting threes is always something that any coach is begging their team to do a better job of.' In other words, opponents are draining long-range shots because the Jazz aren't closing out fast enough on shooters. And the real killer? Fouls at the free-throw line. 'The thing that's probably hurting us the most is the free throw line. You know, fouling a little bit too much. Last game we saw it in the third quarter. It's not just shooting fouls; when you get in the bonus for long stretches in the NBA, it's hard.' For beginners, the 'bonus' means once a team commits a certain number of fouls per quarter, the opposing side gets free throws instead of inbounding the ball—turning small mistakes into big points for the enemy.
The Jazz sit smack in the middle of NBA teams for fouls per game, a stat Hardy is keen to improve, and that push for discipline extends to their attack too, especially those icy three-point attempts. Over these 10 contests, they've hit just 30.8% from deep, landing them in the bottom three league-wide. But don't chalk it up to poor choices; they're taking quality looks that should drop more often—it's pure bad luck on the makes and misses. 'Offensively, I really do feel like our team is playing pretty well. We are just shooting really poorly,' Hardy noted. 'You have this feeling of, like, man, we're not playing well, and that's not the case. We're playing fine. We're just not shooting the ball well. A lot of people will say, 'this is a make or miss league,' but I think more than that, the makes and the misses sometimes can impact your mindset.' And this is the part most people miss: in basketball, a cold shooting streak can rattle confidence, making players second-guess themselves, even if the fundamentals are there.
With a rotation full of youthful energy—including two new centers adapting to the system—Hardy appreciates the team's growing bond. 'For the most part, I think with our group, we have a lot of young players playing in the rotation. We have two centers who are new to our program. I've liked the connectivity of the group. I really have. I think that the shooting will get better. I think we are a better shooting team than we have shown. But overall, I've really liked the competitiveness of the team.' Imagine a squad of rookies and sophomores gelling on the court; that teamwork is the foundation for future wins, even if the shots aren't falling yet.
Despite the long-range drought, encouraging vibes are popping up across the offense. Take Lauri Markkanen, whose all-around skills—from scoring inside to stretching the floor—are shining through in versatile ways. Then there's Keyonte George, leaping into his third year with sharper scoring and playmaking that opens up the game. And don't sleep on the intriguing bursts from Ace Bailey, hinting at star potential (more on his adjustments here: https://www.si.com/nba/jazz/onsi/news/utah-jazz-will-hardy-wants-ace-bailey-make-key-adjustment). These individual sparks make it tough for Hardy to feel down about the start.
In truth, he's emerging from these first 10 games feeling quite satisfied. 'There have been some tough stretches, but I'm overall pleased with the first ten games,' he said. Sure, the journey to contention is a marathon, likely spanning beyond this season's games, but Hardy is optimistic about the budding core he's coaching.
Now, for a counterpoint that might ruffle feathers: is Hardy's glass-half-full view too rosy for a 3-7 team, or does it smartly focus on process over early results? What do you think—should coaches hype the positives this soon, or call out the flaws more bluntly to light a fire? Drop your takes in the comments; I'd love to hear if you're buying into the Jazz's young guns or if the record tells the real story!
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