Schrödinger's Gerbil
Well-Known Member
That’s only part of the story. The Jazz appear to have three primary objectives this season: (1) retain their 2026 draft pick, (2) develop the young core, and (3) determine which players are part of the long-term plan and what roles they should play. The latter two are intermediate steps toward the real goal: sustained championship competitiveness. Playing Love or other veterans in heavy minutes at the expense of younger players may help accomplish the first objective, but it does little to advance the second and third objectives and is therefore less likely to contribute to the long-term goal.
For me -- and I suspect for many other Jazz fans -- the primary reason we’re willing to tolerate intentional losing, at least for now, is if it meaningfully advances all three objectives. That’s a narrow and difficult line to walk, but it’s the line the front office’s roster decisions have imposed. As a result, the front office and Will Hardy damned-well need to be aligned and deliberate in walking it together.
I’m not arguing that Love, Anderson, or other veterans should be benched entirely. Denying them minutes altogether would be disrespectful; they’ve earned a role by virtue of their careers and professionalism. The challenge becomes even more complicated once Niang returns. Is he a potential longer-term piece, or someone the team should look to move as soon as it’s practical? Clarifying those answers requires minutes, but they need to be allocated consistently with the above objectives and goals; NOT because Hardy has come burr up his arse.
