Utah Jazz Podcast Network

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JP Chunga

Coming down the stretch, the NBA's Western Conference is up for grabs. The Ringer's Rob Mahoney knows that all too well.

But even the bottom of the West offers intrigue. Rob and his colleagues on Group Chat discussed the bright spots with the Jazz, Rockets, Grizzlies, Spurs, and Blazers. On Utah, Rob enjoyed Taylor Hendricks.

"He’s already pretty dogged trying to fight through screens for example," Mahoney said. "But you get a better sense of how to fight around a Jusuf Nurkic screen the more you play against a guy like that."

Catch Rob Mahoney on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

Roundball Roundup is presented by First Colony Mortgage, the official mortgage lender of the Utah Jazz.

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Roundball Roundup: Rob Mahoney on the last week of the NBA season

ESPN's Tim MacMahon has covered the Jazz for a while now, but last Thursday in Dallas, he got his eyes on Utah for the first time this season.

While Keyonte George didn't have his best game in his hometown, George's potential has impressed many NBA onlookers.

"I understand why they think this kid has that star potential," MacMahon said. "Whether it’s his scoring, whether is some of the natural passing ability that he has."

Catch Tim MacMahon on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

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Roundball Roundup: Tim MacMahon's take on the Utah Jazz

Isaiah Thomas has loved basketball as long as he can remember. The newest Salt Lake City Star spoke to JP Chunga about joining the G League.

"Before I loved anything, I loved a basketball," Thomas said. "It just brings a smile to my face. It’s never felt like work. It’s never felt like it’s been hard. It’s just something, obviously I’ve been really good at it since I was young, but everything about the game of basketball I loved, and I know until that goes away like I’m going to give it everything I have. No matter if it’s in the G League, back in the NBA - because I know I will be back there at some point - or back at the crib hooping with kids. It doesn’t matter. That feeling is just the same."

Catch Isaiah Thomas on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

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Roundball Roundup: Isaiah Thomas wants to be in the NBA

JP Chunga caught up with General Manager Justin Zanik to recap the Utah Jazz's trade deadline.

"Our job in the front office is to listen and see if there is anything that can be in the best interest of the Utah Jazz long term as part of our plan to open up a championship window," Zanik said. "...Part of that plan is recognizing opportunities even if it sometimes can be a little emotional. Simone [Fontecchio], Kelly [Olynyk], and Ochai [Agbaji] were three guys that came here when we rebooted the franchise - from an ownership level to foundation player level, a new coach. And they were part of the beginning of that."

Catch Justin Zanik on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

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Roundball Roundup: Justin Zanik talks Jazz trade deadline moves

The trade deadline saw the Jazz's rotation completely changed. Kelly Olynyk, Ochai Agbaji, and Simone Fontecchio were packaged for two draft picks, Otto Porter Jr., Kira Lewis Jr., and Kevin Knox.

Will Hardy reacted to the news ahead of Utah's game against Phoenix.

"There’s gonna be a process right now of figuring out what’s next in terms of who fits well with who," Hardy said. "The way that my brain thinks about it is always going to be about how we put the best ecosystem on the floor for 48 minutes. Everybody gets caught up in who starts. I understand the human part of that, but to me it’s unimportant. We’ve got to get through 48 minutes. We’ve got to figure out the balance of sub patterns and groups that are going to be on the floor together for long stretches of time over the course of the game. And I would anticipate that these next couple of games, we’re gonna have to experiment a little bit and try a few different things out to try and find the right balance with some different things going on."

Catch reaction to the trade deadline and 90's Jazzman Bryon Russell on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

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Roundball Roundup: Trade Deadline reaction + Bryon Russell on 90's Jazz

At this point last year, Mike Williams was preparing for the Windy City Bulls in the G League. It was his second year in charge after being hired at 25-years-old. Now he's in the NBA as an assistant coach on Will Hardy's staff.

Williams chatted with JP Chunga ahead of Jazz-Wizards.

"So much has happened in just a year," Williams said. "And things I would’ve never been able to predict. I would’ve never predicted coming in contact with Will [Hardy] and being hired by the Jazz and moving to Salt Lake. I could’ve predicted that Kris would’ve gotten called up. That’s one. I wasn’t sure which team. But the way he was playing for us, it would be silly for a team not to choose him. But when I think about it, I’m really blown away because you never know how life goes, but I feel like when you stay focused on just the day-to-day stuff and try to do a good job and help the people around you those things end up working out in your favor."

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Roundball Roundup: Mike Williams goes from Go-Go to Utah Jazz

There was no playbook. No track set. Just ambition and a market that wasn't yet ready for basketball. So Barry Mendelson, Executive Vice President and General Manager for the New Orleans Jazz, had to make it up as he went.

The Superdome was the main attraction to bringing the franchise, but when the 1974 season tipped off, the cavernous dome was still a couple months off. Mendelson found the Municipal Auditorium and Loyola Fieldhouse as suitable accommodations - well sort of.

Loyola Fieldhouse had a raised floor, which was a safety hazard. Mendelson had to instal fishing net to contain the players and avoid injury. Bob Lanier, the head of the NBA players association, needed to sign off.

"So he literally ran from one side of the court to the other side of the court, jumped into the netting, and the netting propelled him back," Mendelson remembered. "And so he said, 'Okay, now I’ve got to do it to the other side of the court.' So he did the same thing. Got a head of steam and jumped into the netting, and it propelled him back. He looked at me. This must have been all of five minutes. He looked at me and said, 'Everything’s perfect.' And he walked out of the gym! And so we were then granted permission to play in Loyola Fieldhouse for the balance of the 74-75 season."

Catch Barry Mendelson on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

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Roundball Roundup: 5 years as the New Orleans Jazz

For seven years, Will Hardy worked with Ime Udoka as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs. But their relationship began when Udoka was wrapping up his playing career.

From that point on, Hardy and Udoka shared a bond that developed in a professional relationship which culminated in Boston. Udoka called Hardy to make him a Celtics assistant. It's this experience that Hardy credits for making him a better head coach.

"Had I not been with Ime [Udoka] I really wouldn’t have known what it looks like," Hardy said. "That messy is okay at the beginning. It’s not going be all buttoned up how it is with Pop and his program. Pop’s had a lot of years to refine that process. So I think it helped me navigate some of the early moments of being a head coach where I felt like I was drinking from a firehose. I couldn’t quite get anything done. It felt like some days, I would go to work with a check list of 20 things I wanted to get done, and drive home and the check list now has 25 things on it. That experience was something that I’ll always be grateful to Ime for."

Catch Will Hardy on Roundball Roundup on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Stitcher.

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Roundball Roundup: Will Hardy's connection with Ime Udoka

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