Jazz coach Will Hardy blasts team after ugly loss: 'It looked like a pickup game at Lifetime Fitness'

The Jazz hosted the Grizzlies on Tuesday, entering halftime with a one-point lead, but were outscored 76-38 in the second half, ultimately falling 140-103. It’s safe to say Utah coach Will Hardy wasn’t pleased. Will Hardy, Jazz, NBA

Instead, Hardy was visibly frustrated with his team’s performance, particularly in the third quarter, and expressed his disappointment during his post-game media session, as reported by Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.

“I’ve talked a lot about how we carry ourselves meaning something to me, and those words are not hollow,” Hardy said. “That second half was really disappointing, and it’s not representative of who we want to be as an organization. It’s not representative of who I want us to be.”

Hardy noted that while he rarely feels disappointment in the Jazz, the loss left him frustrated.

“There are very few times where I’ve been disappointed in our group, and tonight I’ll drive home disappointed,” he said. “But we have to all wake up tomorrow and get back to work. And it is one game. It is one half. I understand that, and I’ll get some sleep and wake up tomorrow with perspective. But during the game, perspective’s for the birds. The lights are on, you’re competing. You’re representing an organization, representing a fan base, our community. That was just unacceptable.”

Several young players struggled in the loss, including rookie forward Cody Williams (0-for-6, -26 in 18 minutes), second-year guard Keyonte George (0-for-4, -19 in nine minutes), and second-year forward Brice Sensabaugh (0-for-2, -22 in 10 minutes). However, the team’s collective effort was lackluster, as all 11 players who saw court time in the third and fourth quarters posted a plus/minus of -10 or worse.

While Hardy did not call out specific players, he emphasized the importance of the opportunities that young players are getting in these final games of the season. He also called for the team to play with more selflessness and accountability.

“Pass the mother—-ing ball,” Hardy said when asked what he wanted to see from the Jazz players. “Run back on defense. When it’s time to communicate what we’re doing on defense, you should do it at a volume louder than I’m talking to you right now. When there is a loose ball, you need to want it more than the other team.

“You are a member of a team. This is not about you. This is not a personal workout for you.”

Despite Hardy’s insistence on the need for improvement, Larsen notes that the Jazz’s front office may have inadvertently undermined the team’s efforts by signaling that winning games is not a top priority in the season’s second half. The organization’s current direction, focused on building for the future, complicates the call for players to give their all on the court.

With the loss to Memphis, Utah’s record drops to 16-57, having lost 13 of its last 14 games.

Nonetheless, Hardy continues to push his players to compete harder in the final stretch of the season. He emphasized the importance of team play and warned against selfishness.

“When you make everything about yourself, it becomes an infection that affects the rest of the team,” Hardy said. “I understand that one game and one half shouldn’t be something that any of us overreact to. But you put a lot of time and energy into it, a lot of thought into it, a lot of emotional energy into it, and it’s disappointing sometimes when you don’t feel like people are pouring into themselves and understanding the opportunity that they have.”

Hardy also acknowledged his own growth as a leader, saying, “I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I’m a young coach. I’m still figuring a lot out. It’s my 15th year in the NBA, and I’ve seen a lot of players make it and I’ve seen a lot of guys behave in a way that if they could go back in time, they’d take it back.

“I thought we played like a team for about a half, and then it looked like a pickup game at Lifetime Fitness, where we just all met 10 seconds ago, and we’re all just kind of out here trying to get a workout.”