Game Thread Dec 23, 2025 07:00PM MT: Memphis Grizzlies @ Utah Jazz

[SoberasHotRod]

My one true Christmas wish is that the 2026/2027 Jazz team is capable of getting defensive stops.

 

[Rubashov]

Credit to Jock for taking advantage of the situation, but truth be known, our defense makes everyone look great.

True that, just happy for the dude, he's a beast for Australia at FIBA ball. He signed a terrible contract with the Rockets and had some difficult years there, Memphis is looking like a good situation for him.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

He might be the worst non Love/Nurkic defender on the team in space.

It’s the “will he ever get his athleticism back” talk that gets me. Y’all have the patience and vision of a toddler. His processing is horrible. It’s getting slightly better though. It will continue to get better with reps.

Go get some apple juice and watch a couple Bluey episodes and it will be time. Patience children.

 

[NUMBERICA]

It’s the “will he ever get his athleticism back” talk that gets me. Y’all have the patience and vision of a toddler. His processing is horrible. It’s getting slightly better though. It will continue to get better with reps.

Go get some apple juice and watch a couple Bluey episodes and it will be time. Patience children.

He also put on a bunch of weight. His injury was also significant but not catastrophic. He will be fine but that will take some time to resolve both issues.

I agree that if he isn’t the defensive playmaker he was projected to be then he probably isn’t an NBA player. So I hope he’s starting to focus on that part more.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

It’s the “will he ever get his athleticism back” talk that gets me. Y’all have the patience and vision of a toddler. His processing is horrible. It’s getting slightly better though. It will continue to get better with reps.

Go get some apple juice and watch a couple Bluey episodes and it will be time. Patience children.

I mean we just don't have a huge sample of players who had the severity of injury Taylor had.

 

[NUMBERICA]

I mean we just don't have a huge sample of players who had the severity of injury Taylor had.

It was a fibula (probably the least-important bone in a person’s leg) fracture and dislocation. The injury itself should not have any long term ramifications besides the developmental disruption (that part is definitely real).

 

[KqWIN]

Such a bozo take. Situations do matter.

So force feeding the young guys minutes and tanking hard for two years must have been the secret to OKC’s development right?

Situations do matter. I lean towards going guys the freedom to play through mistakes. When I look around the league there sure seems to be a lot of teams with “losing culture” that ended up just fine. But the idea that it’s super important one way or another is ridiculous.

The best development teams are really just the teams who identify and acquire talent the best.