Will Hardy took his time coming to his postgame media session Monday night time, having spent a good bit of time telling the Utah Jazz’s gamers how displeased he was with their 124-111 loss to a short-handed Dallas staff.
As soon as lastly in entrance of reporters, Hardy pulled virtually no punches in lamenting his gamers’ half-speed, low-effort efficiency.
“Credit score to Dallas as a result of they got here out able to play — they performed as a staff, they performed more durable than us, they out-executed us,” Hardy started in a blistering however even-keeled critique. “… That is the primary recreation all season the place I really feel dissatisfied in our focus.”
Ouch.
He wasn’t proud of the defensive rebounding. Or the transition protection. Or the best way gamers reacted to lacking photographs. Or the extent of consideration paid to schemes and assignments and rotations.
Nonetheless, as beforehand talked about, he pulled virtually no punches. Subsequently requested why he felt the staff was missing focus in opposition to Dallas and if he noticed it coming, he declined to handle the elephant within the room: “It’s onerous to place your finger on what makes one thing like this occur.”
Jordan Clarkson, nevertheless, simply went proper forward and mentioned the quiet half out loud.
“We simply received a little bit bit of out of doors noise or no matter’s occurring,” he mentioned.
Perhaps you’ve heard the NBA commerce deadline is that this Thursday? And that quite a lot of Jazz gamers are apparently in the marketplace?
Nearly everybody requested uttered some iteration of making an attempt to disregard the rumors, blocking out something peripheral or tangential to the sport itself.
Which, as grew to become obvious Monday, is simpler mentioned than carried out.
Veteran level guard Mike Conley mentioned he’d love to have the ability to persuade younger teammates to show their telephones off this week, however is aware of it’s futile. So as an alternative he preaches “attempt to are available in and preserve your routine, attempt to preserve your thoughts away from the what-ifs and all the chances which can be on the market.”
However, even he conceded it’s all however unattainable to tune out fully.
“It’s robust. I don’t verify Instagram or Twitter as typically because the younger guys, however you get a textual content from a member of the family that claims, ‘Welcome to Chicago’ or one thing — I didn’t get traded to Chicago, however now I’m pondering, ‘Did I get traded to Chicago?’” Conley mentioned. “So I’m going look it up or go name my agent. It’s nonstop.”
All-Star ahead Lauri Markkanen famous the irony of the Jazz being those to provide the disjointed efficiency contemplating the Mavericks have been so short-handed — partly on account of accidents (Luka Doncic, Davis Bertans, Maxi Kleber), but in addition as a result of not one of the outgoing (Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie) or incoming (Kyrie Irving, Markieff Morris) gamers from Sunday’s blockbuster commerce have been obtainable.
It might be argued that the Mavs have been extra relaxed understanding their huge deal was carried out, whereas the Jazz stay mired in uncertainty, however by all accounts, Dallas’ roster stays unsettled too, as its entrance workplace seeks out new touchdown spots for the likes of Christian Wooden and Tim Hardaway Jr.
The Finnish ahead mentioned that having been traded thrice now, he’s a bit extra zen in regards to the thought and so he personally doesn’t discover the commerce deadline unsettling; however, he admitted to being considered one of myriad gamers taking part in sub-optimally Monday.
“[In spite of] the stuff they’ve been by the previous couple of days, they performed higher than us, they performed more durable than us,” Markkanen mentioned. “Give credit score to them, however I don’t assume we have been able to play. We weren’t in it from the beginning. We’ve received to be higher than that.”
The Jazz had their moments.
They really received off to an incredible begin — within the opening 12 minutes, they shot 62.5%, they dedicated only one turnover, they held Dallas to 9 for 22 from the sphere, they led by a dozen.
After which Dallas reeled off 11 straight factors early within the second quarter, the Jazz fell prey to the feelings of seeing the momentum swing in opposition to them, and regardless of occasional flashes of placing it collectively once more, they by no means actually recovered.
As Hardy put it …
• “Collectively, we simply didn’t have the required focus and a focus to the little issues. They’d 27 factors in transition and 24 second-chance factors, and that’s why we misplaced the sport.”
• “You let not making photographs bleed into your general power stage and psyche and vibe and no matter phrase you need to use, and it’s a recipe for a nasty night time.”
• “I advised them tonight that, at moments, it actually simply felt like we have been some place else in our minds. Wherever that place is, I’m not precisely certain. We simply didn’t appear to have that collective chip on our ought to that we’ve carried with us all yr.”
• “We’ve actually prided ourselves all yr on carrying that chip on our shoulder, and I believe we’ve carried out that each night time — win or lose — this yr. And tonight it simply felt like we type of let off the gasoline a little bit bit.”
In the end, each the coach and his level guard summed it up extra succinctly.
“Our minds wandered a little bit bit,” mentioned Conley.
And so, “We didn’t need to win,” concluded Hardy.
The Jazz will maintain non-obligatory exercises for gamers on Tuesday however, technically, no official follow.
In addition they apparently have already dominated out having a Wednesday morning shootaround previous to that night time’s recreation in opposition to the visiting Timberwolves.
No official follow and no shootaround means no media availabilities. Which suggests no reporters round asking gamers in regards to the commerce deadline.
The Jazz are doing no matter it takes to show down the amount of the “exterior noise,” apparently.
Wanting turning off their telephones, that’s.