Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton dribbles towards the Chicago Bulls at Vivint Area in Salt Lake Metropolis on Monday, Nov. 28, 2022. With Mike Conley on the shelf, Sexton has had a better alternative to showcase his basketball wares. Kristin Murphy, Deseret Information
Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton appears for a gap round Detroit ahead Isaiah Livers at Vivint Area in Salt Lake Metropolis on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Utah Jazz guard Talen Horton-Tucker drives on Detroit guard Jaden Ivey at Vivint Area in Salt Lake Metropolis on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Utah Jazz guards Ochai Agbaji (30) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (6) after a basket towards the Memphis Grizzlies in Salt Lake Metropolis on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information
Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy talks to Talen Horton-Tucker throughout break in play towards the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, in Salt Lake Metropolis. Ben B. Braun, Deseret Information
The early season success of the Utah Jazz shocked the NBA world, took many unexpectedly and adjusted what number of seen the post-Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert staff.
“So, moments of the season the place you might have accidents, it offers you a chance to see different guys. It offers them a possibility to point out form of what they’ve bought and what they'll convey to the desk.” — Jazz coach Will Hardy
As a substitute of counting the variety of losses, individuals have been trying on the wins the Jazz have been racking up, and as a substitute of questioning who the Jazz would possibly land in upcoming drafts, there was analysis of how effectively gamers like Lauri Markkanen, Kelly Olynyk and Mike Conley have been working collectively on the court docket.
In the entire pleasure, one of many highest priorities this Jazz staff has been tasked with began to grow to be an afterthought for a lot of on the skin. The Jazz have to determine which gamers on this roster might be part of the subsequent period of nice Jazz basketball.
Successful now could be enjoyable and has its benefits, however the Jazz brass have been clear in that they're working towards long-term targets.
Although Conley has been excellent for this staff, his current damage and absence have achieved two issues: function a reminder that he's 35 years outdated and on the tail finish of his profession; and open the door for the youthful gamers who nonetheless have potential to develop into one thing extra.
Whereas on the skin the main target has been on the gamers on the prime of the Jazz rotation and roster, internally there's unbelievable curiosity and funding on gamers like Collin Sexton, Talen Horton-Tucker and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
“I don’t imply this in a nasty manner — I haven’t considered Mike as soon as within the final three or 4 days. That is who we've, and it’s about this group proper now,” Jazz coach Will Hardy stated. “The toughest half at this stage is that you've 15 professional basketball gamers in your staff and never all of them can play.
“They’re all good gamers, they wouldn’t be right here in the event that they weren’t. So, moments of the season the place you might have accidents, it offers you a chance to see different guys. It offers them a possibility to point out form of what they’ve bought and what they'll convey to the desk.”
Just lately, when requested about Sexton, Hardy repeated one thing that he has stated earlier than when talking in regards to the progress of all three of those younger gamers.
“The street of progress is just not a straight line — it goes up and down,” Hardy stated.
That’s the leaping off level for this dialog, for discussing the expansion, the rising pains, the training curves, the strengths and the weaknesses of every participant. That’s the mantra we should always bear in mind when asking, in the case of these three gamers — Sexton, Horton-Tucker, Alexander-Walker — what do they bring about to the desk? What have we seen up to now throughout their Jazz tenure, and what's the subsequent step in them realizing their full potential?
Collin Sexton
Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton appears for a gap round Detroit ahead Isaiah Livers at Vivint Area in Salt Lake Metropolis on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
It’s arduous to know what a participant’s persona or their each day strategy goes to be like earlier than you actually get to know them. I’m unsure what I assumed Collin Sexton was going to be like, however for some motive, his normal demeanor and persona have stunned me.
Sexton is extremely aggressive and fierce. These issues have been apparent simply by watching him over time. What was not as clear although, is how arduous he's on himself.
That may be stated about loads of gamers. It’s grow to be a little bit of a sports activities cliche to say, “they're their harshest critic” about any participant. In all honesty, that may most likely be stated about each particular person, in or outdoors of the sports activities world. However Sexton does appear distinctive in how a lot he beats himself up for errors and the way a lot stress he places on himself.
After any one of many Jazz’s losses this season, Sexton might be seen within the locker room, muttering and shaking his head whereas trying on the field rating. Greater than as soon as throughout any recreation Sexton will hold his head and be visibly annoyed together with his personal miscues. He has been described by teammates and coaches as a perfectionist.
However Hardy is fast to level out that basketball is imperfect and errors are part of the sport that must be accepted and used towards enchancment. He doesn’t thoughts that Sexton hangs his head, however he needs Sexton to grasp the why and the way of each scenario in order that he can construct off of it.
Probably the most essential issues to recollect with Sexton is that he was sidelined after knee surgical procedure for almost a yr. His video games with the Jazz have been his first since early November 2021. So not solely is he re-acclimating to the NBA and reminding himself what he's able to on the court docket, however he's additionally being requested to do issues that he hasn’t been requested earlier than.
The Jazz have loads of gamers who can create for themselves and who can shoot the ball effectively, however the Jazz are looking for out who they'll rely on as high-level determination makers.
“I believe Colin has made great strides on the offensive finish,” Hardy stated. “I believe we’ve seen his playmaking take an enormous leap right here recently, involving his teammates and his determination making has actually grown.”
One of many issues when Sexton with the roster that the Jazz have was that he was going to require the ball lots and wasn’t going to essentially mesh effectively with the opposite gamers who're additionally ball-dominant.
However, after the primary 10 video games of the season, Sexton’s help numbers have shot as much as career-high ranges. Within the video games since Conley’s damage Sexton has averaged 6.9 assists per recreation — greater than double what he has averaged at some other level in his profession.
He nonetheless has work to do in that space. He has a pure capability to hurry previous a defender and discover his technique to the rim, however he usually is met there by bigger gamers who forestall him from ending. Additionally, he can get tunnel imaginative and prescient at instances and miss open teammates when he goes downhill.
However, by using his athleticism and skill to get a primary step on a defender, he's studying to steadiness enjoying for his teammates and enjoying for himself.
“I believe the subsequent evolution for Collin is his consistency on the defensive finish of the ground,” Hardy stated. “He can actually stress the ball and may actually get via screens and it simply comes all the way down to doing it extra usually. … So, we’re going to be fairly demanding of him on that finish.”
Talen Horton-Tucker
Utah Jazz guard Talen Horton-Tucker drives on Detroit guard Jaden Ivey at Vivint Area in Salt Lake Metropolis on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Most of the similar issues which were stated about Sexton’s recreation might be stated of Talen Horton-Tucker.
He's a ball-dominant participant who must learn to play inside a system and play for his teammates. And once more, like Sexton, Horton-Tucker has rapidly progressed in that space whereas with the Jazz.
In a brief period of time, he has proven that he could make good reads and that his offensive skills and knack for attending to the rim open up the ground for the remainder of the staff, and he's greater than able to making laser-perfect passes.
However, don’t neglect that “progress is just not a straight line.” As Horton-Tucker has been requested to play extra level guard, his focus has been on orchestrating the offense and unintentionally that has led to him enjoying extra on the perimeter than the coaches would love.
“His decision-making has progressed very effectively,” Hardy stated. “I believe recently, he’s perhaps settling just a little bit for leap pictures. That’s not all his fault. Partly that’s the spots that he’s been in on the ground and the time that he finally ends up getting the ball.”
Although Hardy trusts Horton-Tucker’s capability to shoot, it’s clear that he's at his finest when he's attacking. Utilizing Horton-Tucker as a major ball-handler doesn't want to come back on the expense of his aggressiveness with the ball. These issues can go hand in hand.
And, for a 3rd time, like Sexton, the Jazz need extra from Horton-Tucker on the defensive finish, as a result of they know the way useful he might be together with his dimension.
“Talen has a particular body to play protection together with his wingspan and his power,” Hardy stated. “He actually understands angles and may get via screens. So, we simply wish to see progress from each of these guys on that finish of the ground on the level of assault. … If you return and watch the movie, there’s loads of stuff proper on the level of assault that must be cleaned up and it’ll hold us out of some dangerous spots.”
Due to Horton-Tucker’s time within the league and the truth that he bodily appears older than he's, it may be simple to neglect that simply this previous week he turned 22. He's youthful than Sexton and Alexander-Walker, and so it would take extra time for Horton-Tucker to seek out the correct rhythm to unlock his total toolbox.
The excellent news is that simply in a few months, each Sexton and Horton-Tucker have proven that they not solely have the flexibility to alter and enhance, however they've proven the will to.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Utah Jazz guards Ochai Agbaji (30) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (6) after a basket towards the Memphis Grizzlies in Salt Lake Metropolis on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information
Sexton and Horton-Tucker are extra downhill-playing guards who can play with an attack-first mentality, which can profit them of their playmaking. That makes them very completely different from Conley, who's extra of a standard level guard and is a pure playmaker in each sense of the phrase.
Alexander-Walker has proven that he may need a few of the abilities that may be extra tempo, tempo and movement-based, like Conley. In opposition to Golden State, regardless of going 0 of 6 from 3-point vary, Alexander-Walker was a +2 in plus-minus, and that was as a result of his motion with the ball.
“He got here in that Golden State recreation and actually bought the ball transferring for us and did some nice stuff,” Hardy stated. “Nickeil has been coping with just a little bit completely different scenario than the opposite two by way of a consistency of alternative. So for him, it’s simply looking for some rhythm and confidence on that finish of the ground.”
Confidence and understanding have been the place Alexander-Walker has been attempting to develop essentially the most this season. He has talked greater than as soon as about attempting so as to add worth even when the alternatives are restricted and to present himself the grace to make errors.
These qualities, whereas not transferable on to a field rating, don't go unnoticed by the teaching employees.
Alexander-Walker has been praised for his consideration to element when he’s not even within the recreation. On nights when Alexander-Walker has been a DNP-CD, he’s nonetheless been energetic in huddles and providing perspective from what he’s seen watching from the sideline. His engagement and willingness to adapt to no matter function the staff wants may really find yourself paying dividends for the 24-year-old.
Protection is the place Alexander-Walker excels, and he’s proven this season that he’s studying offenses in a brand new manner. He’s developed a knack for feeling out screens and drawing offensive fouls from the participant he’s guarding, and people sorts of performs might be actual momentum changers.
On the offensive finish, consistency in taking pictures and execution is the place he nonetheless wants essentially the most enchancment.
A number of the consistency could possibly be associated to being in rhythm and getting extra time on the court docket that doesn't come briefly bursts. So far as the execution goes, there are occasions when Alexander-Walker has the correct thought and is making the correct play, however is simply off the mark both sending a cross too excessive or being a second late on a passing lane.
“It’s very arduous to play basketball and actually brief stretches,” Hardy stated. “You get three and a half minutes and by the point you begin sweating, you get subbed out.”
For all three gamers, this stretch with out Conley has been an opportunity to fine-tune a few of the stuff they've been engaged on. This received’t be the one time this season that they're introduced with extra enjoying time, and there’s an opportunity that if the expansion continues, they might discover themselves with an excellent bigger function sooner or later.
As we transfer via the season, it’s essential to recollect Hardy’s phrases — that “progress is just not a straight line.” Sexton, Horton-Tucker and Alexander-Walker are usually not going to rework their video games and notice their full potential in a single day.
Early indicators have indicated that there's extra that hasn’t been unlocked, however there's nonetheless an extended technique to go.
Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy talks to Talen Horton-Tucker throughout break in play towards the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, in Salt Lake Metropolis.
Ben B. Braun, Deseret Information