NBA life in the preseason isn't about winning and losing. It's about seeing progress from one game to the next and learning to grow as a team.
Mission accomplished for the Utah Jazz.
"We're all getting on the same page, so I think everybody's bought into what we're doing on both ends of the floor," head coach Will Hardy said. "They understand it much better now than they did two weeks ago, and our goal is to try to improve that understanding every day."
With so many new faces on the team, Hardy has constantly preached that he just wants to see improvement every day. Because the players are almost all new to one another, learning each others' respective games and the intricacies involved was going to be the most challenging part of training camp.
Not only is Hardy new, serving as a first-time coach in the NBA, but the Jazz only have five players returning from last year's team. Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Rudy Gay, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Udoka Azubuike are joined by prominent newcomers Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Walker Kessler, and Kelly Olynyk — all of whom are expected to play critical roles this upcoming season.
With so many new faces in the building, Hardy faced the most challenging task of all; forming an identity.
Establishing that identity and style of play was the main goal of the preseason and training camp, following through on words he said at his introductory press conference in early July.
"We will be tough, we will play with passion, we will be a team," Hardy said back then. "I want a team that competes. … I want a team that cares about winning. I understand that there are individual aspects to playing at this level, but I want people that are solely focused on winning basketball games for the Utah Jazz."
Although the Jazz went 1-3 in the preseason, it's clear that there was growth. The Jazz showed heart and resiliency in every game, trying to establish the identity Hardy preached from the beginning.
Over the span of a few weeks, Utah went from a group of players getting to know each other to a team bonded together on the court.
"Being a physical team, playing hard, and just being the faster-paced team. … That's the culture we are trying to build," Vanderbilt said.
While Rome wasn't built in a day, neither is a team establishing its identity and culture.
It will continue to take time, and there will be triumphs and tribulations. There will be multiple highs and even lower lows. But the one thing that will stay consistent is Utah's willingness to grow through those pains.
The Jazz will compete. The Jazz will fight. And lastly, they will never give up. That part of the identity is already established and will serve as a core building block.
"I'm actually really excited. … I like this group a lot," Hardy said. "I think they're capable of playing really good basketball."