Through all the losses the Utah Jazz have gone through since 2022, it's fair to say that Will Hardy is in a pretty ideal position for a coach because, since the losing is by design, the franchise has not assigned the blame to him when franchises typically do the opposite.
But because Utah has failed to make any real headway since blowing it up nearly four years ago, Hardy's effectiveness will come into question until proven otherwise. Among those who have established themselves among his current skeptics is Bill Simmons.
Simmons brought up the Jazz's loss to the Knicks earlier this week to make his point about Hardy on his podcast.
"I was watching Will Hardy last night. They're playing the Knicks. Utah is beating the Knicks in the third quarter. And it's like, they're trying to lose. So, 'oh, this will be fun," Simmons said. "And they end up losing by 17. I think the Knicks flipped the game, I think by like 27, 28 points. And they're cutting to Will Hardy, and it’s kind of just like... I don't even know if Will Hardy is a good coach."
"I know that if Ime [Udoka] had left the Celtics, and Will Hardy wasn't already at Utah, Will Hardy would've been the coach [of the Celtics], because he was the number one [assistant]... This is three-straight years of watching him basically call off the dogs when they have a chance to win in February-March-April."
The retort to this is that Hardy is simply following orders, and more than that, the Jazz extended him the first chance they got. However, the fact remains that Hardy has still proven very little since becoming the Jazz's head coach.
Next year, we'll know for sure
Hardy's competent coaching abilities have shown themselves in spurts since becoming the Jazz's head coach in 2022. Remember, when he took over, the Jazz played so well that they had the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference before the party was immediately over.
That's been the best example of Hardy showcasing his talent, but Utah got another taste of how good he is over the three games Jaren Jackson Jr. played for the Jazz before he was shut down, as the team not only looked good, but looked dominant.
That's why fans should feel confident in what Hardy can do once the Jazz take the shackles off. That doesn't mean there won't be some speed bumps along the way once Utah starts legitimately playing the best they can, but they clearly believe in what Hardy can do.
But because he's still largely unproven, the doubts about him aren't completely unfounded.