By pairing Jaren Jackson Jr.’s rim protection with versatile perimeter wings, Will Hardy finally possesses the length and switchability needed to transform Utah into a formidable two-way threat.
The Utah Jazz have spent the past couple of seasons building what has become a pretty impressive core through the draft, free agency and even a few splash trades along the way. But to date, their biggest weakness has been on the defensive side of the ball.
Utah has had prolific offensive scorers over the past few seasons, but the defense has certainly needed work. As the Jazz look to improve this season, though, they’re bringing significantly more defensive talent and versatility, headlined by Jaren Jackson Jr. The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year gives Utah an established rim protector who can also step outside of the paint and defend in space. That’s the type of player Will Hardy simply hasn’t had a chance to deploy during his tenure with the Jazz.
There are other intriguing pieces around him as well. Josh Okogie has built his career largely on his ability to play tough perimeter defense. Josh Green, acquired via trade this offseason, is another athletic wing capable of scaling up and down a lineup defensively. Ace Bailey has the size and physical tools to eventually guard a wide range of positions, while Darryn Peterson is known primarily for his dynamic scoring but also has significant defensive upside in the backcourt.
That’s not to say the Jazz are suddenly going to become one of the NBA’s elite defenses this season. But if Utah is going to become competitive, both sides of the ball at least need to be adequate. There should be enough offensive talent on the roster to consistently generate points, and the defensive personnel looks considerably better than it has in recent years.
More importantly, this could just be the beginning of Utah building a legitimately strong defensive core. Hardy now has length, switchability and versatility, along with several different lineup combinations he can deploy depending on the matchup each night and within the flow of a single game.
The Jazz still have plenty of work to do defensively, but the personnel has taken a meaningful step forward over the past year. If the young pieces develop as hoped around an established defender like Jackson, Utah could eventually have the foundation of one of the league’s more versatile defenses.
The future is bright for the Jazz, and building a team predicated on defense is the right way to go. That scales on the road and into the playoffs, which is what matters most.
