Will Hardy

Jeremy Rincon

Jazz head coach Will Hardy meets with the media following practice on Saturday, discussing Lauri Markkanen’s leadership, Keyonte George’s development and trying to force turnovers.

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Coach Hardy – ‘The margin between winning and losing in this league is slim’

utaatrinh

Jazz head coach Will Hardy meets with the media following practice on Monday, discussing the season, Simone's comfort level this year compared to last year and, his coaching strategy on and off the court.

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Coach Hardy – ‘There's a different confidence about Simo this year"

Jazz head coach Will Hardy meets with the media following practice on Tuesday, discussing starting the season, his comfort level this year compared to last year and Lauri Markkanen being a leader.

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Coach Hardy – ‘I’ve been itching to just get this started’

Ryan Kostecka

In preparation for the upcoming season, Utah GM Justin Zanik and head coach Will Hardy sat with the media on Friday morning.

Ranging from training camp in Hawaii, an update on the rookies, what the potential rotation could be like, and who is most like the Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen, Zanik and Hardy sat for nearly 45 minutes answering questions.&nbsp;

1.) Navigating New RolesOne of the biggest topics heading into the new season is how Hardy navigates the roster. Not only do the Jazz return eight players who averaged 20+ minutes per game, but they’ve also added John Collins from Atlanta and three rookies who could push for playing time. Collins was a starter the past five seasons with the Hawks, averaging more than 30 minutes per game.

So how does Hardy decide on how the minutes will be divided this season? Lucky for him, that’s what training camp is for.&nbsp;

While he did say that players such as Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler will be expected to carry a lot of the load, Utah will have to figure out how best to incorporate Collins into the mix. They also return Olynyk, who was sensational for the team last season and Team Canada this summer. Taking into account rookie Taylor Hendricks, there’s a noticeable logjam at the center/power forward position.

“We have some new pieces, we have some players in new roles. … It’s our job to try to look at the team as something that doesn’t have a ton of history to it,” Hardy said. “I have to be flexible in what I am willing to do or try with them in order to make that three-person group of Lauri, John, and Walker work to the best of their abilities. … I can’t center it around John, and I also can’t just center it around those two and just say, ‘John, figure it out as you go.’”

2.) Hunger GamesA lighthearted moment in the press conference was when Hardy was asked which Jazz player was most like The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen. After taking nearly 30 seconds to ponder the question, even stating that it was the toughest question he’d been asked in a long time, he finally settled on Olynyk. Although he didn’t elaborate much on his response, it was a fitting reply to those who know this Jazz team — and Olynyk in general.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The question wasn’t as out of the blue as it seems since Hardy made a Hunger Games reference just minutes earlier.&nbsp;

“I sort of know what training camp is gonna look like, and I would describe it as ‘The Hunger Games,’” Hardy said. “It’s going to be vicious, and I am excited about that.”

When asked how he will figure out the rotation for Utah’s backcourt, which includes five players who averaged 20+ minutes per game last year, he said training camp would resemble the cult classics from a decade ago.

“Those five guys are gonna go at it at training camp, and I love that. … But we’ve got to make sure that it’s within a team construct. Individual motives are good and powerful, and we need to lean into those. … But we also have to remember that we have 82 games coming, where we’re all wearing the same jersey.”

3.) Rookie WatchSince being drafted in June, Utah’s three rookies, Hendricks, Keyonte George, and Brice Sensabaugh, have all had interesting summers.&nbsp;

Hendricks and Sensabaugh were dealing with injuries suffered last year in college or throughout the draft process, forcing them to watch Summer Leagues in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas from the bench.

Meanwhile, George was one of the stars of Summer League when he thrived as Utah’s lead guard in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. After showing off his scoring and play-making abilities, he was named to the Las Vegas Summer League first team. But his time on the court was also cut short when he suffered a sprained ankle in Las Vegas.

The good news for Jazz Nation is that after undergoing an expansive rehab process and living in the gym — according to Zanik — Utah’s three rookies have all been cleared for full participation before training camp in Hawaii.&nbsp;

4.) Lauri The LeaderWhen entering last season’s training camp, veteran point guard Mike Conley was the team’s leader. Not only was he one of the longest-tenured members of the squad, he was one of the veterans who had long been comfortable&nbsp; with a leadership role.&nbsp;

While players such as Clarkson, Olynyk, and Rudy Gay also emerged as vocal leaders within the locker room and on the court, it was still apparent that Utah looked to Conley when times mattered most.&nbsp;

But Conley is gone, and while Clarkson and Olynyk remain, Hardy alluded to someone else getting comfortable with a leadership role.&nbsp;

“Lauri, you know, he’s a leader now,” Hardy said of his All-Star. “You don’t always ask to be the leader, but it’s something he and I have spoken a lot about this summer. It’s understanding that people are always looking at you even when you don’t want them to be looking at you. … He’s getting used to carrying that weight.”

5.) FlexibilityWhile questions will need to be answered heading into training camp, Hardy and Zanik understand that only some things will be worked out when the team tips off the regular season on Oct. 25 against Sacramento.&nbsp;

“Nothing is set in stone,” Hardy said. “We could be the team that changes the starting lineup once every 10 days just based on a matchup. If we can get our team to think about that as something that’s OK, then that’s going to be great for us. … It’s a strength.”

Flexibility will be what they’re preaching throughout Utah’s week in Hawaii. They will test out different lineups, see who plays well with one another, and ideally carve out roles for one another. Even then, that situation will remain fluid as Hardy and Zanik will play the guys who give the Jazz a chance to win every game.&nbsp;

“Training camp is just the beginning of it for us to kind of figure out initially who’s going to be in what role and see where that works,” Zanik said. “There has to be a culture of flexibility and an understanding that we’re, as a collective group, trying to win every game and compete. And some days, it’s going to be a particular set of eight or nine players, and another game, it may be a different set of eight or nine players, and then continuing on that journey.”

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"Best Of Their Abilities" | Hardy And Zanik Preach 'Culture Of Flexibility' As Utah Prepares For Training Camp

The Utah Jazz are excited to announce Head Coach Will Hardy’s first-ever Youth Basketball Coaches Clinic, featuring Coach Hardy and his staff, on Saturday, Sept. 9 in Salt Lake City. Registration is open to all youth coaches across the state.&nbsp;

As part of the Jazz’s commitment to the youth basketball community, this clinic is dedicated to helping coaches hone their skills and prepare for the upcoming season.&nbsp;

“Aligned with our organization’s commitment to being a steward of the community, Will Hardy is passionate about finding ways to impact Utah’s basketball culture and is particularly focused on&nbsp; youth development,” says Nate Martinez, vice president of Jazz Youth. “Youth coaches have a lasting impact on young athletes both on and off the court, and by hosting a clinic like this, the Jazz seek to provide participants with the skillset to boost their coaching confidence, build effective communication skills,&nbsp; and unlock the next generation of great talent.”

The clinic will be held at Zions Bank Basketball Campus (1420 500 W, Salt Lake City, UT 84115) on September 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The cost is $35 per coach and includes the clinic, lunch, and Utah Jazz gear.&nbsp;

The clinic is open to all youth coaches at any level who are at least 18 years old. Space is limited, so interested participants are encouraged&nbsp; to register as soon as possible

Registration will close on Sept. 1 or when capacity is reached.

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Utah Jazz Head Coach Will Hardy to Host Clinic for Youth Coaches Across Utah

You hear basketball players say it all the time. The NBA is a business.

While that statement is true, it's what players constantly tell themselves — and the outside world — to help process the changes throughout a career.

It's what both Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert said last summer when they were traded. It's what Jazz GM Justin Zanik and CEO of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge said when asked about those trades that drastically changed the organization's future.

But just because the NBA at its core is a business, that also doesn't mean it can't be fun — and that's precisely what Will Hardy brought to the Jazz.

"It's like if you're laughing and smiling, then you're being goofy, and you don't care about winning," he said. "I just don't think that those two things are mutually exclusive. … I think you can do both."

In his first season since taking over as the leading man in Utah, Hardy instilled a sense of belief in his core principles. While the rookie head coach has often stated words like toughness, sacrifice, and passion, he's been constantly preaching one other mantra for the last nine months.

"I wanted us to have fun," he said. "Our goal from the outset was to try and create an environment that our players wanted to be in every day. I never want any player to dread coming to the gym. … I think we were able to accomplish that this year. I think our team played with a tenacity and a competitiveness, but they also played with a level of joy."

Although he never played in the league, Hardy has been around the NBA for over a decade. It's given him a unique perspective on relating to his players, understanding that they must live in and enjoy the moment.

"If they were 16 years old, their dream was to make it to the NBA. … Right now, they're in the middle of a dream, and you're allowed to enjoy it," he said. "This should be the best time in your life. There's a day where it's all over, you'll look back, and it's all just memories at that point."

"We try our best to remind the players that you can be competitive, you can be professional, you can care about winning, you care about all the right stuff, and you can enjoy it. … You can be a 23-year-old professional basketball player in the middle of your dream."

When speaking on Wednesday for his first end-of-season media availability, Hardy detailed what he hopes to build on after this past season; player development. He explained his philosophy that each player should focus on being elite at a few things rather than being good at many things.

"Wanting to 'get better at everything,' I think that's really dangerous," he said. "I totally understand wanting to improve everything, but you just don't have that much time. … I think for young players to actually make significant jumps, you do need to hone in on maybe a couple of things."

"Our biggest job is helping them prioritize what to get better at," Hardy added. "We had a player come in yesterday who had six things written down that he thought were important to him, and he asked me to rank them. And so I ranked them 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 10. That's only to give him the visual of, 'If you get these two right, then you're gonna make a big jump. And then in the future, we can tackle 7, 8, 9, 10.' But if I label them 1 through 6, it doesn't give the relationship between those things."

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"Middle Of Your Dream" | Hardy Reflects On First Season As Leading Man Of The Utah Jazz

Jazz head coach Will Hardy meets with the media at the end of the season and talked about where the coaches and team need to improve in the off season, his involvement in the draft and having players participate in NBA Summer League.

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Coach Hardy – ‘‘We are trying to continue to build this program and team into something that’s contending for championships’’

No matter what Utah has said all season long, many in the media and fanbase refused to listen.&nbsp;

They refused to believe that the Jazz wouldn't tank for a top draft prospect. They refused to believe even after the trade deadline in which three of their top seven rotation players were sent away.

After two of the year's most significant (and surprising) wins, maybe they'll start believing. Perhaps they'll begin believing because of the 35-year-old rookie head coach roaming the sidelines.&nbsp;

It’s difficult to win the NBA Coach of the Year award when your team is battling for a play-in spot. According to multiple websites, Hardy isn't even listed among the top 10 contenders for the award.

Yet, none of that mattered on Saturday and Monday.&nbsp;

Going up against arguably the top two candidates for the award in Boston's Joe Mazzulla (a friend from his time as an assistant coach in Boston) and Sacramento's Mike Brown (the clear front runner), Hardy and the Jazz were the ones walking away with the key victories. 

"It's not easy to go into a season where everybody's telling you that you're not very good," Hardy said on Monday night. "There's obviously rough patches at points in the season. … You lose four in a row, you dip a certain number of games below .500, and everybody says, 'Oh, there it is, it's over,' and that's natural. That's not anybody's fault, that's just the way that it works. … And they (Utah) haven't backed off one bit, they haven't given in ever."

I'm just going to say it, Hardy deserves to be in the running for Coach of the Year. If he doesn't take home the hardware — and yes, Brown has a sensational case — he deserves to generate some buzz.. 

In his first season, Hardy's already established a culture within the program; the Jazz are going to play hard, they're going to play for 48 minutes. There's also a lot of trust between the coach and his players, one that allows ideas to be shared and implemented.

"He's awesome," Olynyk said of Hardy. "He's super open-minded, he's an outside-the-box thinker and loves that kind of stuff and all the different opportunities and possibilities. … I think he's someone who you can approach, and he'll really take your suggestions into consideration."

After being with Hardy since day one of the season, it's easy for Olynyk to see the growth of his coach throughout the past six months. But what's even more impressive in Hardy's case is that in just one month, Juan Toscano-Anderson already understands that his coach is built differently.&nbsp;

"It's the environment that he creates," Toscano-Anderson said. "A lot of laughs, easy vibes, everybody is letting their hair down because we are just here to hoop and have fun. … At the end of the day, that's what this is about. I'm new here, and I don't feel uncomfortable speaking to him. … I think those personal relationships have a lot to do with it."

That honesty allowed Hardy to address the elephant in the room before the year started, address all of the outside noise and the expectations for the season.

"We talked at the beginning of the year a little bit about expectations and narratives and not letting anybody dictate who this team is going to be but them," Hardy said. "The way that they fight every day, the way that they are committed to trying to win, the way that they've all sacrificed for the group. … For that to happen, I'm so happy for them."

Throughout the season, Hardy has given the Jazz freedom to express their thoughts and what could be different — a notion that hasn't gone unnoticed.&nbsp;

"You know, sometimes you go to a restaurant, and you see a suggestion box, and you never really know if those get read, but he'll read every one of them. … Gotta love it," Olynyk said.

While it's unknown where the Jazz will finish the regular season — will they make the play-in tournament or not — and while it's unknown if Hardy will garner any serious consideration for Coach of the Year, I'm here to say it's time to put some respect on that man's name.

"He's got a good pulse on the team," Toscano-Anderson said. "When you understand the players, and there's a connection, that itself is a large component of building this healthy environment. He laughs, he smiles, he jokes. … He just has that connection with the team."

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OPINION: "It's The Environment He Creates" | A Long Shot For 'Coach Of The Year', Hardy Deserves More Respect

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