Utah Jazz Mailbag: What Does Future Backcourt Look Like?
Jan 14, 2025, 2:02 PM
Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) celebrates with Utah Jazz guard Isaiah Collier (13) (Credit: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
(Credit: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – Welcome to the Utah Jazz mailbag where this week we look at the future of the team’s backcourt.
Each week we will send out a prompt on X and BlueSky asking for the questions you have about the Jazz.
Then, we’ll respond to as many as we can in that week’s mailbag.
Mailbag: What Does The Future Of The Jazz Backcourt Look Like?
Can Collier and Keyonte work together in the backcourt? Or how do those two work together going forward?
— Josh Chisholm (@jchizzy21) January 13, 2025
Question: Can Isaiah Collier and Keyonte George work together in the backcourt? Or how do those two work together going forward?
Answer: Simply put, no, I don’t think George and Collier are a good pairing in the backcourt for the Jazz in the future, so I doubt we’ll see much time invested in them playing together in the starting lineup.
When George is healthy, he’ll start. When he’s not, Collier will get some of those opportunities.
One consistent theme we’ve seen from Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik throughout their tenure with the Jazz is the prioritization of positional size, whether that’s in the draft, or in trades.
well when your high school coach is in the crowd,,, 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/JOY6JvJRbn
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 11, 2025
When the Jazz shipped out Donovan Mitchell, they got back a seven-footer in Lauri Markkanen.
When they traded Rudy Gobert, they brought back another big man in Walker Kessler.
In the draft, they’ve traditionally looked at players with good size for their position, see Taylor Hendricks, Brice Sensabaugh, Kyle Filipowksi, Cody Williams, and George over the last two years.
Yes, there are exceptions like Collier, or Terry Rozier when Ainge was in Boston, but for the most part, they seem to like big players.
With that in mind, I don’t see them turning the backcourt over to Collier at the one, and George at the two, both of whom would be undersized at their position.
let’s watch that one again ⏮️#TakeNote | @isaiahcollier04 https://t.co/mIdcfMTFYM pic.twitter.com/pgmOLReM2Q
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 13, 2025
Instead, I expect the Jazz to continue to invest in George as a bigger point guard while slotting Cody Williams as the eventual two-guard.
At this point in his career, Williams’s thin frame makes it difficult for him to compete in the NBA, but his 6-foot-6 frame (barefoot) and 7-foot-1 wingspan are terrific tools to work with.
Though I doubt he’ll ever have the strength of his older brother, he should be able to add another 20 pounds to his frame, which would give him elite size for a shooting guard.
Conceivably, that would give the Jazz a starting lineup with a 6-foot-3 George, a 6-foot-6 Williams, a 7-foot-0 Lauri Markkanen, a 6-foot-8 Taylor Hendricks, and a 7-f00t-0 Walker Kessler.
That’s bigger than most lineups in the NBA, and would give the Jazz a size advantage most nights they step onto the floor together.
Is Will Hardy Too Good Of A Coach To Tank?
Is Will Hardy too good of a coach for us to tank properly
— Derek (@ToucanKazaam) January 13, 2025
Question: Is Will Hardy too good of a coach for us to tank properly?
Before the season I looked up Will Hardy’s records before and after the trade deadline in his first two seasons with the Jazz combined.
Here’s what I found.
Hardy had a 53-54 record combined before his first two trade deadlines and a 15-42 record after.
Related: What Has Will Hardy Learned From The Utah Hockey Club
That tells me two things.
One, Hardy led two very flawed rosters to nearly .500 records, meaning that with the right talent, he’s got a chance to rack up a lot of wins quickly.
Two, and perhaps most applicable to this season, he knows how to lose when he needs to.
A good stat for the @utahjazz‘s future:
Will Hardy is 53-54 before the NBA trade deadline and 15-42 after in his career.
He’s actually been quite good at losing when they need to lose, and far better than expected when they’re trying to win.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) September 16, 2024
While the Jazz have certainly lowered their talent level each of the last two seasons, I don’t think Mike Conley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kelly Olynylk, Simone Fontecchio, and Ochai Agaji are the only differences between teams on pace to with 41 games, and teams on pace to win just 21.
So, when looking at the Jazz’s current 10-28 record this season (coincidentally an identical .263 winning percentage as his last two teams after the trade deadline), I’d give him the benefit of the doubt for recognizing how many games his team needs to lose to close the season, and what lineups he needs to play to ensure it happens.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
