Game Thread Dec 12, 2025 06:00PM MT: Utah Jazz @ Memphis Grizzlies

[Hedda Gambler]

I’m encouraged to see Ace getting more minutes, but I’d like to see the Jazz run more actions specifically designed to get him shots. For both his development and—unfortunately—the realities of the tank, he needs to be carrying a usage rate that is meaningfully higher than it is now. Stationing him in the corner or expecting him to create his own offense consistently doesn’t serve anyone’s interests, except perhaps Will Hardy’s. Ace also needs to be more assertive. He still defers too often, as though he’s conscious of an invisible limit on how many possessions he’s allowed to use.

It's also about time for Brice and/or Clayton Jr. to start getting more of Svi's minutes, including in the fourth quarter and during crunch time. If Svi were tearing things up, then OK, but he's not, so not OK. (I've softened toward Svi. I'd like to see him succeed and stick. He could be a longer-term role player, but a role player only, not a starter eating up 26 minutes a night.)

More generally, given the season's imperative to keep our draft pick, all the youth still need more burn. I love K Love, but it should be Flip out there getting his minutes. There's less and less excuse to keep Hendricks out of the lineup, and possibly also Williams, although Williams sucks so badly that it's understandable. This is, after all, supposed to be a premier professional league.

If we lose our draft pick because the youngsters ball out, so be it. But if we lose it because Hardy stubbornly played vets or transient players (i.e., not in the team's LT plans) over youth or players in the team's LT plans (or potentially in the team's LT plans), that's inexcusable malpractice.

Yes, yes and yes. It is really frustrating watching Ace stand in the corner while Svi and KLove get to do their thing.

 

[Hedda Gambler]

Ace is the 3rd in FG attempts for the season after Keyonte and Lauri, and the 6th among the rookies in the last 10 games. And the amount of his touches and shots is constantly increasing: in the last 3 games Ace averaged 13 shots (that was the rate of Keyonte's FGA last season).

The Jazz are giving Ace plenty of opportunities to get involved on offense: he simply cannot take full advantage of them because his dribbling and finishing around the rim are poor, so Ace has to settle for threes and long twos. He often defers because he simply cannot beat defenders off the dribble.

So give hime even more opportunities. I get that Hardy is tired of coaching a bunch of losers, but this is getting to the point where we might we ****ing up our next ten years just to please the egos of men who get paid more yearly than we do in our lifetimes.

 

[jazznik]

So give hime even more opportunities. I get that Hardy is tired of coaching a bunch of losers, but this is getting to the point where we might we ****ing up our next ten years just to please the egos of men who get paid more yearly than we do in our lifetimes.

It's not that simple. You want to teach your young players to recognize, produce and take good shots and avoid bad ones. That is what the Jazz are doing now. Ace was pushed to manufacture tons of bad offense at Rutgers and it really stunted his development.

 

[NUMBERICA]

If we went away from the vets there would be less wins but more to celebrate. If Cody/TH played how Love/Nurk did and we won because of it, I don’t think there would be as much internal conflict going on in the thread.

 

[NUMBERICA]

It's got to be miserable to be mad about the tank instead of elated that we are seeing a star develop in Keyonte

Yep. It is miserable. Your point?

A lot of people are making the point that we didn’t necessarily have to win this close game with large contributions from veterans that will not be here when the Jazz are actually good.

 

[Hedda Gambler]

It's not that simple. You want to teach your young players to recognize, produce and take good shots and avoid bad ones. That is what the Jazz are doing now. Ace was pushed to manufacture tons of bad offense at Rutgers and it really stunted his development.

I know that this is the message that is being pushed, but isn`t it strange that Flagg, Harper, VJ, Knueppel and Fears can do whatever they seem to want to, while our guys have to be on such tighe leashes?

 

[Tremendous Upside]

I know that this is the message that is being pushed, but isn`t it strange that Flagg, Harper, VJ, Knueppel and Fears can do whatever they seem to want to, while our guys have to be on such tighe leashes?

Are you serious? Do people not realize how much better all those guys are than Cody, Collier, Hendricks, Clayton, Brice and even Ace?

And still even Edgecombe plays a very narrow off-ball role and is like the 5th option on offense. He's not doing "whatever he wants to". But he's smart, plays hard and defends like his life depends on it. Those are things you can't say about any of our kids.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

The Jazz's defensive rating for the season with KLove on the court is 140.

One hundred and fourty.

The tank people should be happy Hardy was playing him. Y'all bitch about anything and everything

 

[Tremendous Upside]

The Jazz's defensive rating for the season with KLove on the court is 140.

One hundred and fourty.

The tank people should be happy Hardy was playing him. Y'all bitch about anything and everything

This. I was laughing out loud at Hardy leaving his no-defense-playing *** in at crunch time and benching Nurk, who was having a monster game on that side of the ball. Straight up stealth tanking move. But Keyonte took care of business and that was that.

Kevin Love is WASHED. The fact that he very occasionally turns back the clock like this doesn't mean that we're somehow relying on him to bring wins.

 

[Tanktastic]

Keyonte was really, really good on offense. Every facet, throughout the game, consistent. Fully deserved the win off of that.

Keyonte was really, really bad on D. The early fouls were stupid. Backing off his man and letting them (especially Morant) get to 6ft of the basket without any resistance. After his 5th Grizzlies could score at will every play.

I just don't get it.

 

[fishonjazz]

Anything can happen. The Thunder lost a game this season to Portland. Does that mean Portland is better than OKC? The only thing that triggers mean is when you act this stupid.

I think you will be ok after you are done crashing out. If not then PM me and I will help you through this tough time

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[Saint Cy of JFC]

I think you will be ok after you are done crashing out. If not then PM me and I will help you through this tough time

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Nah, get bent. You re a fine poster most of the times me but sometimes you got negative basketball iq