Will Hardy Reveals One Quality Jazz Need to Get Back on Track

It was a rough night to be a Utah Jazz fan on Sunday night, as the team was on the receiving end of a tough blowout vs. the Sacramento Kings to take them to their 18th loss of the year, coming just days after the Jazz had a 40-point victory of their own against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The contest was one where the Jazz looked seemingly disconnected on both sides of the ball. Utah shot 38.8% from the field to limit themselves on the offensive side of the ball, and as Sacramento shot 57% from the field, 50% from three, and had six players in double figures, the defensive side wasn't too polished either.

After the loss, third-year Jazz head coach Will Hardy spoke to the media about some of his observations on the night, also mentioning one key trait that Utah will need on their side if the team wants any improvement in the league standings.

"It's another night where we're re-integrating two people back in," Hardy said. "Some guys aren't playing. Some of the play calls are different. Some of the schemes are different because we have new personnel in the game... I do think that while we're in this space of guys being in and out, it's tough for young players to find continuity. I think for any team to find a level and sustain it, we do need to have continuity. Teams that can do the in and out thing are usually teams with a lot of veterans, or they've been together for a long time, so they have a deeper understanding of everybody on the team."

After some injuries derailed the recent availability of both Lauri Markkanen and Kyle Filipowski, both returned during Sunday's contest, and there were clearly some struggles from both.

Markkanen continued his up-and-down third season in Salt Lake City posting eight points on 2/9 shooting in 25 minutes, while Filipowski had a quiet three points in 10 minutes with a -18 plus-minus.

Of course, with a developing, young team, these growing pains and inconsistencies are bound to happen, but when there's an injury bug and a rotating inactives list on a nightly basis, it makes finding that on-court success much more difficult.

Thankfully, the Jazz will have some time to recoup during the upcoming week, as their next contest isn't scheduled until Friday, December 13th vs. the Phoenix Suns.

During that time, expect veteran Jordan Clarkson to prepare for his return back in the lineup, and hopefully kickstart some further consistency for Utah's rotation moving forward.

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