The Utah Jazz have one of the five worst records in the NBA thanks to a collection of players that fit very poorly with one another. Terrible defensive outings, coupled with inconsistent shot selections from the same players each and every night have led the Jazz to a record of just 4-11, and looking like a lost cause for the season.
The Jazz weren't supposed to be here. You could argue a record of 7-8 would be possible as the team was good but flawed, but 4-11 and in the same conversations as the Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, and Detroit Pistons? No, this was a play-in team at worst and a playoff team at best.
How did things get here? Well, Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy has let things get out of hand. When you couple the combination of selfish, uninthusiastic play, and players who can't get traded for another two months, you get the Utah Jazz. But what else can the coach do to right the ship? Here are three ideas we came u with.
Letting Jordan Clarkson shoot at will
The Jazz can't stop playing Jordan Clarkson, we know this. He's going to be on the team until he's able to be traded come January, but there are ways to mitigate the damage he does to the offense and defense; which is sitting him as the sixth man (or further down the bench) and limit the number of touches he gets. He can still score in bunches, but he can't do anything else effectively, and his poor play is one of the biggest reasons that the Jazz are struggling.
Not treating Lauri Markkanen as thee guy
Lauri Markkanen was an All-Star last year, and is shooting and scoring at similar levels this year. Yet, the Jazz are almost treating him like an afterthought to Clarkson. Markkanen should not play 30+ minutes in a game and not be the guy with the most shot attempts. He's the team's best player by far and Hardy is treating him like he's still a rookie in Chicago. Markkanen has to be the key to the offense if they want to win.
Mismanaging Walker Kessler
The mismanagement of Walker Kessler has been one of the biggest and most shocking things the team has allowed to happen. He's such a talented young big, but Hardy handcuffs him on a nightly basis. If the team is not only going to get better on defense but are going to maximize on Kessler's potential, he's got to be given more consistent playing time.