If the Utah Jazz are serious about turning the corner next season, the blueprint for one of their biggest offseason priorities may already be sitting in their own locker room.
Utah allowed 130 or more points in a game 32 times this season, a number that isn’t going to help you win more games even at full health.
The team needs more defenders who can disrupt games, not just survive them – especially with their goals for next season.
Towards the end of the season, the Jazz have given more minutes and opportunities to some of their younger and lesser-known players, with guys like Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, and Jaren Jackson Jr. missing most of the second half of the season due to injury.
In the wake of increased minutes, these other players have shown exactly the type of defensive identity the roster has lacked for much of the year. Elijah Harkless, John Konchar, Bez Mbeng and even rookie Ace Bailey have all flashed traits that Utah should value heavily as it evaluates the roster and looks for outside additions.
The overall team defense has still been a mess, but these players have put film on tape that show they could play an important role next season as defensive-minded players who could fit in next to the scoring abilities of Utah’s top guys.
Every playoff or high-caliber team has competitors on their roster that can do the little things that not everyone wants to do. The grind-it-out players who make things harder for the opposite team and make winning plays.
Will Hardy has given out high praise
Konchar, who was more of a throw in piece as part of the Jackson blockbuster, has excelled in this type of role for the Jazz and has been praised by head coach Will Hardy for his play.
“If there is a ball nearby, his hand will touch it. His elite instincts for the ball, does so many winning things. Steals, deflections, block shots, rebounds, plays an unselfish style.”
Konchar has shown flashes of his defensive ability during his short time in Utah with 13 games with multiple steals or blocks.
“He never really looks like he's flying around, like his brain clearly works quickly. He's just in the right spot a lot. He's a winning player.”
Konchar racked up two triple-doubles in the final three games of the season after posting 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against New Orleans and 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists against Memphis.
“I just tried creating a role for myself in the NBA pretty much just gonna play hard, work hard, and dive on the floor, get those balls, extra possessions for our team,” Konchar said.
Another player that has taken advantage of his opportunity is Harkless.
“I think Elijah is our best defender,” Hardy said.
Harkless does not fill up the box score every night, but his value has shown up in other ways. He finds ways to disrupt his opponent and has a knack for picking up steals, while also applying constant ball pressure.
Harkless also embraces difficult assignments. In a March 2 game against Denver, Hardy trusted him to help guard the three-time MVP Jokic at times.
Before suffering an injury of his own, Harkless continued to make life difficult for opposing guards and wings by forcing turnovers and creating chaos.
“He was very smart,” Harkless said of Jokic. “I learned a lot tonight. I'm very cerebral also, and he is too, but he's 300 pounds of cerebral and has the credit already. So it was cool to play the little game within the game with him today and I learned some stuff today.”
The same goes for Konchar, whose defensive instincts continue to stand out. Hardy summed him up simply: “If there is a ball nearby, his hand will touch it.”
Those types of players may not headline an offseason, but they help build a functional defense.
Mbeng has offered similar flashes with his deflections, energy and ability to quickly learn defensive positioning. Bailey, meanwhile, has shown the highest upside of the bunch. His five-block performance against Philadelphia was another reminder that his athleticism can become a real weapon if paired with consistent focus and awareness.
“I think he’s grown more defensively than offensively,” Hardy said of Bailey.
The Jazz do not necessarily need to chase stars to improve defensively. They have their starting five for next season pretty fleshed out, but now they need to find those glue guys that can compete, rotate on time, pressure the ball, and make opponents uncomfortable.
These types of defenders who know their role and play with force can pair well with the offensive games of Markkanen and George.
Combining that with a full season of Jackson and a healthy Walker Kessler, Utah should be able to compete amongst the Western Conference’s top teams next season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google