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Game Thread Jan 15, 2026 06:30PM MT: Utah Jazz @ Dallas Mavericks

Added to Calendar: 01-15-26

If we follow proper tank protocols to tank and play the narrative game... you sit Key and Lauri tonight since Key played on the B2B and Lauri is on his deathbed.

What we will likely do is play Key under the sidequest of the day because he's from Dallas. We win... then we try to tank the second game of the series but fail at that because Dallas is hot trash.
 
Non-tanking related but also tanking related.....I would love it if we let Ace loose a bit. I understand teaching him to play in the smaller role. I was worried about giving him too much freedom to start his development. But it seems like he's a great kid and won't let one hit of freedom corrupt him.

As a fan of Ace Bailey, I just want to see what he can do besides scoring some hustle baskets.
 
KqWIN said:
Non-tanking related but also tanking related.....I would love it if we let Ace loose a bit. I understand teaching him to play in the smaller role. I was worried about giving him too much freedom to start his development. But it seems like he's a great kid and won't let one hit of freedom corrupt him.

As a fan of Ace Bailey, I just want to see what he can do besides scoring some hustle baskets.
Click to expand...

I can't agree more. One of my lingering frustrations with this season is that the Jazz offense does nothing, or seems to do nothing, to run actions for Ace. He's planted in the corner and/or on most possessions seems to be an afterthought. We need to see what we have in him; we won 17 games last year for the rights to draft him (sort of), so let's turn him loose, please. Something other than a corner three from a drive and kick, run actions designed specifically to get him shots, encourage him to be more aggressive going to the basket and finding his shots, etc. (I also find Ace's passivity frustrating; he needs to assert himself more). All the other rookies drafted before or around him are getting significant burn and play much more significant roles than Ace, or so it seems. I struggle to understand the thinking or whatever it is that has relegated Ace to such a peripheral role this year. After suffering through last year's dismal tank to purchase this draft pick, as it were, I think we (fans) have some standing to demand that we now get to sample the wares.

I should add that I've updated my expectations, and now I'm swinging toward HH's position; Dallas is a legit threat to finish below the Jazz. Whereas before I was only moderately concerned (say, DEFCON 4), with both Davis and Flagg now out, I'm now pretty darned concerned (DEFCON 3), and trending toward extremely concerned (DEFCON 2). The Clippers seem to be moving out of the worry zone. We now really, really need the Pelicans and Hornets to go on a run. Despite decent play of late, I just don't see Brooklyn, Washington, Indiana, or Sacramento passing us. It's looking more like our season will come down to New Orleans and Charlotte pulling ahead. The latter, I think, is reasonably likely; the former is iffy.
 
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Schrödinger's Gerbil said:
I can't agree more. One of my lingering frustrations with this season is that the Jazz offense does nothing, or seems to do nothing, to run actions for Ace. He's planted in the corner and/or on most possessions seems to be an afterthought. We need to see what we have in him; we won 17 games last year for the rights to draft him (sort of), so let's turn him loose, please. Something other than a corner three from a drive and kick, run actions designed specifically to get him shots, encourage him to be more aggressive going to the basket and finding his shots, etc. (I also find Ace's passivity frustrating; he needs to assert himself more). All the other rookies drafted before or around him are getting significant burn and play much more significant roles than Ace, or so it seems. I struggle to understand the thinking or whatever it is that has relegated Ace to such a peripheral role this year. After suffering through last year's dismal tank to purchase this draft pick, as it were, I think we (fans) have some standing to demand that we now get to sample the wares.
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One of my fears with Ace was that he would want to play how he did at Rutgers AKA iso mid range ball only, so I understand what the thought process is. But there needs to be a better happy medium between standing in the corner and exclusively shooting isolation mid range shots. I don't think he's going to go Kuminga on us if he has a bit of freedom.
 
KqWIN said:
Non-tanking related but also tanking related.....I would love it if we let Ace loose a bit. I understand teaching him to play in the smaller role. I was worried about giving him too much freedom to start his development. But it seems like he's a great kid and won't let one hit of freedom corrupt him.

As a fan of Ace Bailey, I just want to see what he can do besides scoring some hustle baskets.
Click to expand...
this... Cody too. That is any easy way to tank or find out what is there. Like it also wouldn't hurt to run Taylor off the handoff action where he shoots an above the break three a few times a game.

If we are to actually lose a few of these tankoffs then it requires not just playing the young guys and letting them exist on a basketball court but giving them more responsibility.
 
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