Why Will Hardy Felt Encouraged Despite Jazz Loss to Spurs

The Utah Jazz came up short of a win in their latest game against the San Antonio Spurs on their home floor, dropping their second game to Wembanyama and Co. of the week, 109-126.

However, while the results didn't quite pan in the Jazz's favor in terms of the win-loss category, there were certainly a ton of positive takeaways to gather from the action in the eyes of Utah's head coach Will Hardy, who wound up giving Utah a ton of praise during his post-game presser, and even spoke about how encouraged he is with his guys' development despite the double-digit loss.

"A game like that, I leave really encouraged, and I hope that our team does too, as well," Hardy said postgame. "I was just talking to them about, is that we continue to show that we can play with anybody. We played well, and had good games against all of the top teams in the league. It's about sustaining it for more minutes."

"I think tonight, we showed a heavy portion of the game that we were right there in the game. And that's based on the concepts offensively, the guys really executing recognizing matchups and style of play."

Will Hardy Encouraged Despite Jazz's Loss to Spurs

The Jazz actually kept this one close leading up to the fourth quarter of action. Utah was stuck in just a five-point deficit with 12 minutes to go on the game clock before things spiraled out of control for a 29-17 run in favor of San Antonio to finish things out.

Yet, with the current state of the Jazz, the wins and losses aren't the greatest measurement of how much better this roster has grown into since last season. The big picture focus of this season centers around development and progression of the team's young talent; something that Utah has seen come around quite well within the first half of the year.

Just in this game alone, Ace Bailey led the way in scoring with an impressive 25-point outing. Keyonte George had his typical strong play of year three with 23 points and five assists, and even Cody Williams dabbled into a solid game himself, posting 12 points and seven rebounds as a starter with a +9 plus-minus.

Jan 22, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey (19) looks to pass around San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (4) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images | Peter Creveling-Imagn Images

It shows Hardy that, while getting more wins on the board would be ideal, this team has made significant strides in the first three months of the season, and with the way this roster is currently constructed, should be able to keep the momentum moving forward.

"How were built, currently, we don't have to play one way. We can play pick and roll, we can play small ball. I think it's an opportunity to play against anybody. So, I'm really, really encouraged by what I'm seeing from this team, from our entire group. There's a lot of individuals who are worthy of praise and showing so many signs of improvement, but to me, it's about the collective right now. I'm so excited for where we are and where we're going."

"More than anything, you know, I'll drive home tonight, upset that we lost, but really encourage about where we're going."

Good things come to those who wait, and for the Jazz, those positives are really starting to take shape. And with just a little more patience, this team's future should be getting even brighter with time.

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