Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Jazz players' absences are seen as strategic, hinting at intentional losing.
- The team aims to secure a top draft pick, following trades of key players.
- Coach Will Hardy emphasizes professionalism amidst rebuilding, despite frustrations with losing.
SALT LAKE CITY — From injury maintenance to simply needing a rest, and anything in between, the official description for Jazz players missing games has become an exercise in stretching the truth.
Going back two games, the injury report against the New Orleans Pelicans included four players out for a variety of reasons. Never mind that three of the four played in the prior game 48 hours earlier.
In the win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, John Collins posted 29 points and 12 rebounds in 26 minutes. Walker Kessler had 13 rebounds, 9 points and two blocks in 25 minutes.
Without both players, who have been outstanding lately, the Jazz couldn't overcome the Pelicans on the rare Sunday night home game. The reasons cited were lower back (Collins) and rest (Walker).
Imagine that, the 23-year-old Kessler needed to stay off his feet after playing barely half the game the prior Friday. He played in Monday's blowout loss to the Detroit Pistons, likely because the Jazz had little chance of winning.
Then there's Lauri Markkanen, the team's best player who has a long history of missing games. In his two full seasons, Markkanen has sat out a total of 43 games.
Obviously, the Jazz are intent on losing without their best players suiting up despite being healthy enough to go. For all the ailments listed on the injury report, the truth is plain to see even with eyes closed.
The Jazz are tanking, purposely wanting to increase their chances of finishing with one of the three worst records in the league. And good on them for following the route they should have gone down two years ago.
Once management decided to trade All Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert nearly three years ago, the Jazz launched into the dreaded rebuild mode. This season, finally, they are serious about drafting in the top three rather than further down the list.
From the front office all the way down to the media and fans, nobody wants to endure multiple seasons with no chance at the postseason. Perpetual losing wears on everybody, a fact that could explain third-year coach Will Hardy lashing out after the New Orleans game.
"The NBA will stop for no one," Hardy said. "Everybody's got a scrapbook. No one cares what your resume was before you got here. I don't care how many points you scored in high school. I don't care what you were ranked coming out of high school.
"It doesn't matter where you played in college. It doesn't matter how many points you scored in college. It doesn't matter how many wins you got in college. Your Instagram followers mean nothing to me. This is a job, and we want to win. I recognize that we're in the developmental stage of our team, but this is a profession, and it needs to be treated as such."
Yeah, an 83-142 career record as an NBA head coach is getting to him. Can't blame him.
For all those sick and tired of losing, criticize the system rather than the team. The most likely way to land potential difference makers is through the draft, especially this year.
As unbecoming as tanking is, it's an old trick. Just like the boring All-Star Game, the NBA has failed to find a permanent solution to fix the problem.
If luck breaks its way, the Jazz could draft consensus No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg — the 18-year-old phenom, who reclassified a year early to play his freshman season at Duke. At 6-foot-9, Flagg leads the second-ranked Blue Devils in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals.
Two Rutgers freshmen, forward Ace Bailey and guard Dylan Harper, are also strong possibilities to go in the top three. Both teenagers are worth the short-term pain of losing more games.
Even if the draft order breaks their way, the Jazz likely will go through at least another season of no playoffs. Hang in there, eventually the winning will return.
