It’s mid-October and Will Hardy is peering through a Zoom camera inside the Utah Jazz practice facility. Behind him, several players are getting shots up after practice. “It's been a long summer,” says Hardy, the Jazz coach. “The guys have been working really hard. We've seen a ton of improvement from our young players over the last couple of seasons, and this summer was no different. The guys really just put their heads down and did the work.”
After several years of futility, including back-to-back 20-ish win seasons, the Jazz enter this year with expectations. With an All-Star-ish front line (Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr.) and a collection of uber-talented wings (Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Darryn Peterson), Utah is a trendy pick to earn a play-in spot. Or at the very least compete for one. Says Hardy, “There is definitely a ton of excitement.”
