Utah Jazz's Biggest Early Season Concern Revealed

It's been a bumpy start to the season for the Utah Jazz.

Nov 16, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy (left) talks with guard Keyonte George (3) during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

It's been made clear through the first month of the 2024-25 NBA season that the Utah Jazz are still deep into the development stage of their rebuild process, as they currently sit at the bottom of the Western Conference at a 3-12 record, diving fully into their youth movement across their first fifteen games.

However, even while the Jazz have made their intentions clear for what to expect this regular season, some around the league still see some glaring concerns in the mix that could inhibit this team's growth process, and overall, their track to an NBA championship.

As The Athletic listed off the biggest concern for each NBA team this season, insider Tony Jones' dubbed the Jazz's most prominent concern as Will Hardy, for being "so good at his job" that it could effectively add some limitations.

"The Jazz coach is so good at his job that, somehow, he still has a zombie roster competitive enough to only have the fourth-worst record in the league," Jones said. "It bodes well for when the Jazz have enough talent to win that Hardy will maximize that talent. He’s a phenomenal coach. But right now, the Utah front office needs about three more losses than the Jazz currently have."

Even while the Jazz have managed to post a 20% win-loss to start the year, in a tightly contested tank battle, Jones sees that every game matters. Utah is clearly several steps away from their aspired championship-level team, and a top two or three selection, or even first-overall pick would provide a significant boost to those hopes. Yet, with a talent like Hardy leading the charge, he may inadvertently push this team out of that contention.

The Jazz have maintained a good pace for their lottery odds so far, as they currently rank 28th in the league for both offensive and defensive rating. Still, it remains to be seen if Hardy outperforms expectations leading up to the trade deadline for another season. If the previous two seasons for Utah have shown anything, he's fully capable of doing so.

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