Kenneth Lofton proves his value to the Utah Jazz despite poor management

Will Hardy did it again, and now that's not a good thing. Hardy, who has had a reputation for playing the wrong guys at the wrong time did it again, giving Kenneth Lofton just 16 minutes in the final game of the season. Lofton, who went 3-5 from the floor, and 1-2 from three, finished with just seven points, but six assists as the big man tries to vie for a spot on the team next season.

He's done everything he can to prove he's got all the talent you could ask for, he just needs steady minutes in a rotation that values his contributions. This is a young man who could be the younger version of Kelly Olynyk, a well-rounded power forward/center type who can pass, shoot, and rebound while playing solid defenses.

He can be anything you want or need him to be to boot. He can go out to the three-point line to stretch defenses, or he can drive to the rim with a beautiful Euro-step, as seen below.

It still boggles the man that a man this size can do what he can do, all while being a force on both ends of the court, but has to watch guys like Darius Bazley and Kira Lewis take minutes from him.

The Utah Jazz ended up losing their last game of the year, a 123-116 encounter against the Golden State Warriors, and while the team lost, it wasn't all bad. Lofton looked great in limited minutes, but he wasn't the only one. Keyonte George had a great game to close things out, going 8-11 from the floor and 5-6 from three, finishing with 21 points, four assists, and just one turnover, all while posting a +12 BPM for the game.

George only played 20 minutes. A clear sign that the Jazz weren't trying to win this game. Hopefully, the NBA does something to curb this desire to tank, as we're getting sick and tired of coaches costing fans fun experiences all for the sake of the might tank job.

All in all, the season was a bust, and the three rookies we hoped would contribute to a winner did not. George had an up-and-down season, with Taylor Hendricks having a solid defensive showing as the season went on, and Brice Sensabaugh proving he needs a lot of work.

The future of this team is here right now, and it's unlikely these now three-ex rookies get traded this offseason for bigger names. While we're fine with giving them the chance to grow, we're just hoping that Lofton becomes part of the young core in addition to them.