Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — The 2017-18 season got underway for the Utah Jazz on Monday.
All 19 players reported and met with coaches and media alike. Though each media day has its own paramount theme, usually revolving around the expectations on the team for the upcoming season or a new addition, this season began with a different tone.
First, the Jazz suffered the loss of a critical piece this summer, watching Gordon Hayward sign with the Boston Celtics in early July. Though Hayward isn’t the first player the Jazz have lost in free agency, Hayward’s departure was the first that truly fell outside of the team’s control.
The Jazz were aggressive last season in surrounding Hayward with complementary pieces, notably George Hill, and found success on the floor that should have made an appealing case for him to stay, winning a first-round matchup over the higher-seeded Los Angeles Clippers.
And yet, when Hayward finally put pen to paper, he spurned the Jazz for the Celtics, and his former college coach, Brad Stevens.
General manager Dennis Lindsey and head coach Quin Snyder kicked off media day, and while they didn’t shy away from questions regarding Hayward, they placed their focus on the roster moving forward rather than sulking over a disappointing offseason. It’s the right approach, no team sparks excitement in its fan base by mourning its losses over the summer, and still, Hayward’s absence affected much of the Jazz offseason plans, and likely shaped their future.
The large contract offered to Joe Ingles, and the trade for point guard Ricky Rubio, were intended to keep Hayward in Utah, while the additions of Thabo Sefolosha and Jonas Jerebko were intended to replace some of what the team lost in Hayward’s multifaceted skillset.
Meanwhile, the team’s returning rotation players were asked about their new role with Hayward absent. Rudy Gobert was asked about his gig as a leader, while Rodney Hood, Derrick Favors and Alec Burks were asked if they could make up the scoring gap left behind by the Jazz leading scorer.
Hayward has been the face of the team since it traded Deron Williams in 2011, and he exercised his right to switch teams the first opportunity he got. The Jazz gave him the keys to the franchise and built a winning culture. He wanted something more.
This is no fault of the Jazz, nor the media for asking these questions. Hayward’s absence simply left a major gap, one the Jazz can’t turn the page on until they retake the floor.
The more controversial questions again came from behind the Jazz's control, this time revolving around the recent string of protests in professional sports during the playing of the National Anthem. I applaud the Jazz media relations department for not trying to prevent the media from asking questions about such a pertinent topic, because it’s an important national conversation and one the team can’t avoid taking part in.
Lindsey addressed the issue head on, saying the issue isn’t as “binary” as the conversation has become, noting the ability to be both socially aware and patriotic.
While most players, when asked about the NFL protests, voiced their belief that athletes ought to have the right to voice their opinions, others deflected making a statement at the podium.
Rodney Hood, appearing to be half-joking, advocated for taking President Donald Trump’s Twitter account away from him. Favors said he didn’t want to address the current political climate, despite appearing to make mention of feelings toward the president on a recent social media post.
Thabo Sefolosha, perhaps the NBA player best suited to speak on the use of police force — the issue that began the NFL protests — was a victim of excessive force himself. He simply stated that though he can’t fix the issue himself, he wants to help make a difference for those who have faced similar events to his own.
Again, this isn’t an issue the Jazz asked to bring to their media day, and is likely one they would rather not have been asked to speak on in this environment, but its importance on the national landscape made it unavoidable. The organization's approach to discussing the sensitive issue was well-handled by management and players alike.
While there were certainly other highlights, notably Ingles' never-ending sarcasm, and many more that can be found in the KSL.com live blog of the event, I left the event sensing a void and heaviness not usually present at Jazz media day. These feelings will change and pass as the Jazz find the basketball floor over the next several weeks. But for media day, outside influences colored the day.
