Seriously though, Jazz fans are forever living in that Clippers series where Rudy kept getting cooked because Snyder would not or could not make adjustments. The problem that Quinn had, and that is showing up in Atlanta, is that his offensive and defensive schemes are way too complicated and inflexible. You practice the thing until it becomes well oiled and it shines like a penny. However, when you get an injury, or other teams adjust, there is no fallback plan. You can only go out and continue to grind the original plan. The Snyder Jazz got away with it because their offensive talent was soooo good it overcame a lot of ills and fit Quinn's scheme. Atlanta's squad apparently does not. It is also why the Jazz were so bad in the clutch. A team would throw a wrinkle, and if the practiced Jazz system could not overcome it, we lost. There was no plan B. The Jazz basically would try to put you away by the 3rd quarter. If they couldn't, it was an adventure from there.
Hardy does it different. You saw what happened when Toronto tried to small ball us. Jazz went big with Olynyk and Lauri and crushed them because we were too big to defend with their midgets. Jazz have lost games this season developing a zone. They aren't likely to go zone permanently, but it has become an effective tool for us that is now winning games. Hardy is playing a deep bench, probably too deep, because he is developing options instead of just a well-oiled system. Having an elite rim protector that can defend out to the perimeter (and he can defend out there, even though it is better if he doesn't) is a great option.
I can guarantee that Hardy has watched that Terance Mann- Rudy game several times, because he is making it a priority to never leave Kessler in that situation. For us to live in fear that Kessler will fail, because Rudy was allowed to fail in a certain situation makes no sense. That was a coaching failure, not a Rudy failure. Hardy's team isn't as good as Snyder's team because there is a tremendous talent difference. Hardy's team is better built though and is way more flexible and prepared for whatever is thrown against it. It is why they excel in the clutch.
