Will Hardy Sees One Defining Trait in This Utah Jazz Roster

The Utah Jazz are only three games into their preseason slate, coming fresh off of Monday night's exhibition showing against the shorthanded San Antonio Spurs in which they came out on top, 109-119.

But it's in these preseason matchups where wins and losses don't exactly amount to much. After all, they're just exhibition games.

Instead, these games give this Jazz roster and their coaching staff a chance to get their feet wet in a new season with a fresh roster, and see exactly what this group could be made of as the regular season sits right around the corner.

And while it's been a small sample size for the Jazz thus far, these first few games––along with the training camp practices next to them––have allowed for head coach Will Hardy to get a much greater understanding of how his team has grown heading into a brand new year.

What Will Hardy Has Noticed About This Utah Jazz Roster

Above everything, there seems to be one key aspect that this Jazz roster has showcased to Hardy that should make everyone pretty encouraged for the road ahead: this team is eager to compete.

"They're really competitive," Hardy said of the Jazz's roster. "We've had some of the most spirited practices since I've been here in terms of competitiveness and willingness to go against each other."

"They have a great ability to leave that competition on the court and then come back together as a team. I've seen some really good interpersonal relationships starting to form already, with guys looking for opportunities to spend time together away from the court."

Oct 4, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy calls out in the first half against the Denver Nuggets at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That sense of competitiveness from the Jazz roster, while it may seem minor, should be pretty impactful once getting into the motions of the regular season–– especially when considering where Utah has stood over the past several years.

Up until this season, the Jazz have been stuck rebuilding, developing young talent, and trending towards the bottom of the standings for the best draft lottery odds in the summer, and have led to a combined record of 107-221 since Hardy arrived on the scene back in 2022.

Wins have been hard to come by, and for the players who have been on the floor every night––especially for more tenured names in the case of Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George––they're sure to be hungry to flip the script with a new season on the horizon.

So, early on through the 2026-27 campaign, that sense of urgency and competitiveness has been a key focus for seemingly everyone around the Jazz's roster. That mindset has clearly been shown throughout the past few practices and exhibitions for Utah, and from a coach's perspective like Hardy's, he's more than happy to see it.

"I know that seems simple, but it doesn't happen in our league as much as you might want," Hardy continued. "Seeing guys take time out of their lives to say, 'We need to spend time together away from practice to build these bonds,' is really important."

"The thing I've noticed most is that they're trying to be a team. They're trying to give themselves to the group and understand each other better."

For that competitiveness to show up on the floor so early on in the season, and Hardy handing out his stamp of approval just three games into preseason, that should be a good sign for what's ahead for this young roster in Utah once the regular season gets off and rolling.

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