No empty threats: Will Hardy rolls with unlikely starting group in Jazz win over Pelicans
Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Will Hardy hasn't been shy over the last week in expressing his displeasure.
After a lopsided loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Hardy said that in order to play for the Utah Jazz, players must "play hard and pass."
After his team got flattened by the lowly Portland Trail Blazers, he said that if players were going to wear a Utah jersey "they have to give a (expletive) about the Utah Jazz," and hinted that rotation changes could be coming.
And on Saturday, he made a statement.
With Lauri Markkanen (sore hamstring) and Jordan Clarkson (illness) both sitting out, Hardy looked down his bench for replacements ... way down.
Omer Yurtseven, Kris Dunn and Simone Fontecchio all got their first starts of the season. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more random starting trio in the league. Heck, all three aren't too far removed from getting the dreaded "did not play — coach's decision" treatment.
Hardy gave solid reasons for his decisions, though. Dunn could serve as a perimeter defender and a secondary ball-handler to George, Fontecchio's length would be good on Brandon Ingram, and the Jazz didn't want to overwork Walker Kessler in his first game back.
But there was a bigger purpose for Hardy: Show the players he's not bluffing.
Play hard, play right, or get jumped in the rotation.
"I don't believe in free minutes," Hardy said. "I think that some of the guys that were on the floor tonight are showing that they've earned some minutes and that they're willing to make sacrifices for the team."
They showed it again Saturday.
The new starting group jumped out to an 11-3 lead in the first minutes behind a surprisingly stingy defense. Fontecchio sprinted up and down the court and checked the Pelicans' top available player (Ingram), Yurtseven held the much larger Jonas Valanciunas in check, and Dunn was his usual pesky self on the perimeter.
That group set the tone for the rest of the night as the Jazz beat the Pelicans 105-100.
"We need to continue to hold everyone accountable to our standards on both ends of the floor," Hardy said. "That doesn't mean that anybody has to play perfect; it's an imperfect game. I expect there to be mistakes in the game, but the No. 1 thing for me is always going to be our competitiveness and how hard we play."
Hardy went on to say there was a reason he said "play hard and pass" in that order; his first concern is the effort. That's why he gave some seldom-used players a chance at the spotlight, and they proved how much a little extra effort can go into winning a game.
On Saturday, Hardy's team seemed to get the message. He credited Collin Sexton and Talen Horton-Tucker — two shot-happy guards — for how they played late. They didn't force things, played within the offense, and combined for eight assists in the fourth quarter.
"He wants more from us. He expects high things of us," said Sexton, who had a team-high 16 points. "So just playing hard and putting it all out there for yourself, but also for your teammates and for your coaches, as well. If he's gonna be fighting for us, then we've got to fight for him, too."
Hardy said rotations are never set in stone, and change can come at any time. So was this a one-night wake-up call for his players or something more? Will things go back to normal when Markkanen and Clarkson get back, or will there be long-term adjustments?
That all will be answered in the coming days and weeks, but one thing is sure: Hardy's threats weren't empty.
"I'm a man of my word, and we will do what we think is best for the team," Hardy said.
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