Predicting New Rotation Jazz HC Will Hardy Roll With

There aren't enough minutes to go around at Utah Jazz HQ.

The Utah Jazz are only a week away from getting the 2022-23 season officially underway. First-year head coach Will Hardy has shed some light on who is going to make the starting five, but what players are going to be in the everyday game rotation?

In the regular season, most teams stick with a nine or 10-man rotation and then shorten it up come playoff time. With the Jazz in the midst of a rebuild, they may mix it up more, but there are still only so many minutes to go around.

Let’s dive in and take a look at what guys will be playing, and who will be watching from the sideline.

PG: Mike Conley & Collin Sexton

Sexton and Conley are proven and bring a formidable 1-2 punch to the table at the point guard position. Also, Jared Butler looks to have cemented his spot on the roster, but getting playing time won't come easy.

Butler will get opportunities when Conley takes his rest days, but getting minutes for the second year pro will be uneven out of the gates.

SG: Jordan Clarkson & Malik Beasley

The Jazz have two proven scorers they can rely on at the shooting guard position. As it stands now, there's no player who's a threat to take minutes from Clarkson, but Talen Horton-Tucker could battle it out with Beasley for playing time. 

Beasley is still a candidate to be traded and Utah will want to keep his value high by keeping him on the court. Leandro Bolmaro has barely sniffed the court this preseason and Nikeil Alexander-Walker has been disappointing so far. 

These two players will be watching from the sidelines and that's if they even make the roster.

SF: Lauri Markkanen & Simone Fontecchio

Markkanen has the starting job on lockdown, but it gets a little murky after that. Veteran Rudy Gay played 25 minutes on Tuesday night, but Utah may have been showcasing him for a trade. 

Fontecchio has a high ceiling, and the Jazz signed the sharpshooter out of Italy to possibly develop into a bonafide starter. I can't imagine Gay getting time over Fontecchio, even if he finds his way on the initial 15-man roster. 

The Jazz could also go small and give Horton-Tucker minutes at the three.

PF/C: Jarred Vanderbilt, Kelly Olynik, & Walker Kessler

Vanderbilt will start at power forward, and Olynik at center. On Tuesday night, Kessler subbed in for Vanderbilt and Olynik slid to the four. This trio of players can split time on the court, with Kessler logging all his minutes at center.

Stanley Johnson can be used if the Jazz want to go small, but at this stage, getting minutes is no guarantee. Johnson is another player that's on the roster bubble.

We’ll see what breadcrumbs Hardy leaves for Jazz fans as Utah plays its last preseason game on Friday vs. the Dallas Mavericks.

The season opener is on October 19th vs. the Denver Nuggets in Salt Lake City.

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Follow Patrick on Twitter @pbyrnesNBA.

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