Tag: Utah Jazz

Utah’s Will Hardy sees incredible coaching by Ime Udoka in Houston

Utah’s Will Hardy on the coaching of Ime Udoka in Houston: “I think what he’s been able to do with this group, this season, is pretty remarkable.”

Will Hardy, head coach of the Utah Jazz, has inside knowledge of his Houston counterpart, Ime Udoka. Hardy was a prominent assistant to Udoka when the latter was head coach in Boston, and both were assistants to Gregg Popovich for years in San Antonio.

Under Udoka’s leadership, Houston exited Saturday (after a win over the visiting Jazz) as arguably the NBA’s hottest team. The Rockets (35-35) have won eight straight games and have a 10-1 record in March, best of any team in the league. That’s put them back in the postseason race in the Western Conference.

Prior to that game at Toyota Center, Hardy spoke to Rockets Wire regarding Udoka’s performance during his first season in Houston.

Hardy’s comments:

I think Ime has done an incredible job. You can see, by the way that their team plays, that they are mirroring his personality. They’re a tough-minded, defensive team. I think what he’s been able to do with this group, this season, is pretty remarkable.

It’s been fun to watch from afar, because I love Ime. But they’re no fun to play against, because they’re very physical, and the switching is tough to score against. And they have some talented offensive players.

I think what Ime has done in Year 1 here is pretty special.

The complete video can be viewed below.

The Rockets entered this season coming off three consecutive years at the basement of the West standings, though all three of those teams were coached by Udoka’s predecessor, Stephen Silas.

Now, under Udoka, the Rockets rank in the NBA’s 10 best defenses of the 2023-24 season after being near the bottom in recent years.

The offseason additions of key veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks certainly helped, but so, too, has Udoka’s guidance.

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Full injury report for Wednesday’s Jazz vs. Thunder matchup

Full injury report for Wednesday’s Jazz vs. Thunder matchup.

The Oklahoma City Thunder return from a three-day break when they host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. It’s the last contest between the two squads as OKC won two of the first three.

The Thunder (47-20) enters the contest with a clean bill of health. Adam Flagler (G League two-way) is out.

Meanwhile, the Jazz (29-39) have a lengthy injury report. They hope to keep their top-10 protected first-round pick. They’ve lost eight of their last 10 contests.

Lauri Markannen (quadriceps contusion, injury maintenance) is out. John Collins (facial contusion) is questionable. Jordan Clarkson (groin strain) is out.

Darius Bazley (G League assignment) is out. Kenneth Lofton Jr. (G League assignment) is out. Micah Potter (G League two-way) is out. Jason Preston (G League two-way) is out. Johnny Juzang (G League two-way) is out.

In their last contest, OKC escaped an upset with a close win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.

The Jazz lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in two consecutive games with their latest loss on Monday.

Tipoff from Oklahoma City is set for 7 p.m. CT.

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Kyle Anderson’s eyes almost popped out of his head watching Anthony Edwards’ epic dunk over John Collins

Anthony Edwards’ teammates couldn’t believe it either.

Anthony Edwards’ dunk over John Collins Monday is the NBA’s likely dunk of the year. The Ant-Man hit a button to transform into Giant-Man and absolutely destroyed the person in front of him. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll definitely want to check out every angle of this gravity-defying dunk.

Now, whatever reaction you had to watching it, just imagine if you had seen it in person — just a few feet away. That was the experience of Kyle Anderson, and his real-time reaction told the whole story of how incredible the dunk was.

You know an athlete is on another level when other athletes on the floor can’t believe what they’re seeing.

On this day: NBA suspends season following Rudy Gobert’s positive COVID-19 test in OKC

On this day: NBA suspends season following Rudy Gobert’s positive COVID-19 test in OKC.

On this day four years ago, Oklahoma City set off a chain reaction that led to the United States essentially shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 11, 2020, the NBA postponed the Utah Jazz vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game due to Rudy Gobert testing positive for COVID-19. Gobert was the first known NBA player to test positive for the virus.

Later that night, the league suspended its season. In the following days, sports leagues across the country followed suit — either suspending or canceling their seasons.

The Thunder entered that date just one game behind the Jazz for a top-four seed in the Western Conference standings. It was billed as a critical game for OKC’s chances of earning homecourt advantage in the playoffs with roughly a month left in the regular season.

Instead, it marked the unofficial start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The league resumed its season five months later on July 30 in a bubble environment at Disney World in Florida. The Thunder were one of the 22 teams invited to the bubble, and teams weren’t allowed to leave it until their season concluded.

The league scheduled eight regular-season games for all 22 teams and also introduced the play-in tournament concept during the bubble.

The Thunder’s season ended in a Game 7 loss of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets. The only Thunder players remaining from that roster are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort.

Following their exit, the Thunder blew up their roster and shifted to development mode. Chris Paul was traded to the Phoenix Suns. Steven Adams was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. Dennis Schroder was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and Danilo Gallinari signed with the Atlanta Hawks.

The Thunder also changed head coaches, going from Billy Donovan to Mark Daigneault.

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Former King in the Fourth Isaiah Thomas on why he chose the G League for an NBA comeback

“Ultimately I’m just fighting for an opportunity,” said IT.

The Boston Celtics’ former King in the Fourth is back in the NBA ecosystem. There’s much buzz in the league media on how Isaiah Thomas has signed a deal to play for the Utah Jazz’ developmental affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. It is inked for the rest of this season as he gears up for a push to return to an NBA roster for the postseason.

“Ultimately I’m just fighting for an opportunity, I’m just trying to show teams that I’m still able to produce on the court, but I’m also most importantly, I’m able to teach these young guys,” explained the man himself in a recent interview on “FanDuel’s Run It Back” podcast.

As to why he is electing to pursue a comeback via the G League instead of playing overseas, Thomas revealed it was more than a basketball decision.

“Overseas is really dope,” he said. “I see those games, I love the game of basketball. It’s just at this point in my life, with my family and my kids, it’d be really hard to go overseas, unless they were giving out 10-day contracts, and then I could make it happen.”

“I think this is the quickest route to get back in the NBA, and to get on a playoff roster by the end of the season,” IT added.

Fans of the Celtics can’t help but wonder if he might be a good fit for Boston’s 15th roster spot. But even if that unlikely pairing does not come to fruition, we wish him the best in getting back to the league he loves so much.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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DeMar DeRozan discusses necessary Bulls mindset after win over Jazz

After the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Utah Jazz, DeMar DeRozan discussed the importance of having the right mindset.

Few things have come easy for the Chicago Bulls this season. From an early-season slump to season-ending injuries to Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams, the Bulls have been put through the wringer. Despite all that, they still have a chance to make the playoffs this year by way of the Play-In Tournament.

With that in mind, they need to be putting forth their maximum effort on a nightly basis just for a chance at a chance to make the playoffs. At this point in the season, every single win is important. And on Wednesday night, the Bulls eeked out a win over the Utah Jazz by a score of 119-117.

After the game, DeMar DeRozan spoke about the importance of having the right mindset will be for Chicago down the stretch of the season.

“We just got to stay the course, do what we need to do, pull out the victory and carry on,” DeRozan said via ESPN. “Every single game is going to be tough.”

This may have not been the best season for the Bulls, but they’ll never stop fighting.

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Shams: Former Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas to sign with Utah Jazz G League squad

Reunited with his former team president in Boston with Danny Ainge now calling the shots in Utah, this could be Thomas’ last, best chance to get back into the NBA.

Former Boston Celtics floor general Isaiah Thomas is not back in the NBA, but the former King in the Fourth is as close as one can get without actually being in the league. According to recent reporting from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the former Celtics point guard, in “pursuit of NBA return for stretch run, 11-year veteran Isaiah Thomas is joining the Utah Jazz’s G League affiliate Salt Lake City Stars.”

“The two-time All-Star could be another guard option in (the) marketplace” for teams looking for cheap veteran talent ahead of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, notes Charania of IT’s potential path back into the Association.

Reunited with his former team president in Boston with Danny Ainge now calling the shots in Utah, this could be Thomas’ last, best chance to get back into the NBA for the first time since 2022.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Jazz rookie Taylor Hendricks to miss at least 1 week with injury

Jazz rookie Taylor Hendricks will miss at least one week after suffering a ligament sprain in his left big toe.

Utah Jazz rookie Taylor Hendricks will miss at least one week after suffering a ligament sprain in his left big toe, according to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune.

Hendricks sustained the injury in the second quarter on Monday in a 127-115 win over the Washington Wizards. He was eventually ruled out of returning to the contest after recording eight points and two rebounds in 14 minutes of action.

The ninth pick will be reevaluated in one week after an MRI revealed the severity of the injury. He will likely miss at least the next three games while undergoing treatment.

Hendricks has spent much of the season in the G League with the Salt Lake City Stars. He returned to the Jazz at the beginning of February and is averaging seven points and 6.2 rebounds on 48.3% shooting from the field in 10 games over that span.

Jazz coach Will Hardy said last month that Hendricks would likely remain in the rotation over the duration of the season after the team made several moves at the trade deadline.

He believes Hendricks is settling in more with the team of late.

“I think I’ve seen Taylor improve physically over the course of this year, which has been a big emphasis for him,” Hardy said recently. “I think his approach has really grown. He has never lacked the want to. I think it is kind of just understanding how to go about it every day. That has been a big positive sign for me as a coach: He is learning how to go about his business every day.”

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NBA Rookie of the Month: Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller win for February

Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller for the second straight time were named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama and Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller for the second straight time have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference rookies of the month for February, respectively.

Wembanyama became the first Spurs rookie to win in consecutive months since Tim Duncan in March and April 1998. Wembanyama averaged 21.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.9 blocks and two steals in 12 games. He led all rookies in scoring, rebounding, blocks and steals in the month.

Miller averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 13 games. He became the sixth player in franchise history to win the award multiple times, and he was the first rookie this season to have back-to-back 30-point games in the month.

Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren and Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson were also nominated for the award in the West. Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick, Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson were nominated in the East.

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Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Victor Wembanyama remains No. 1 post-All-Star break

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2023-24 season.

The NBA enters the last two months of the regular-season schedule with teams positioning themselves for the playoffs entering .

The rookie class continues to impress nightly with players contributing at a high level on playoff contenders and other teams in the hunt. The group has been one of the most memorable in recent memory, headlined by Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren.

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They have established themselves as the top rookies and are the front-runners for Rookie of the Year as a result. The two 7-footers have dazzled seemingly every time they step onto the court and have had some strong performances.

To make sense of it all, we looked at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but to illustrate the best players week to week.