Will Hardy, Lauri Markkanen, Ace Bailey React To Jazz’s NBA Cup Loss To Thunder

Will Hardy, Lauri Markkanen, Ace Bailey React To Jazz’s NBA Cup Loss To Thunder

two different games. Um, obviously we we won the first half. A lot of that is because of how we played in the first quarter. Um, you know, we had 28 turnovers. We had 18 of them in the second and third quarters. Like the conversation almost can stop there. Um, you can’t have 28 turnovers for 44 points in an NBA game and win. It just doesn’t work. So, you know, as a group, we have to do a better job of being strong with the ball at the point of attack. We have to do a better job of having the humility to pass the ball early and trust our teammate to make a play versus a closeout. Um, you know, there’s a lot of things that that go into taking care of the ball. I think the the hardest part is that in the first half, you know, we just played the best team in the league and you’re winning at halftime. So, we just played 24 really good minutes and in the third quarter, especially the end of the third quarter, the game just sort of disintegrated. Um, and a lot of that is due to turnovers and then the communication starts to wayne and we start to be a little bit uh hesitant defensively and it snowballs. Um, you know, the thing as a group that we’re continuing to try to fight for is our our focus, but more than that, our ability to refocus. Like there’s going to be a hard moment it goes bad. Okay. Can we snap back into what we’re trying to execute on both sides of the ball and not just continue to drift um further and further from the plot? You know, I think that in general the positive is that I don’t I never really question our team’s physical effort. Like I think physically they are trying hard. I think it’s the the focus as a group that we have to continue to fight for. Um I think that’s what makes OKC so great. It’s the physical part, but also like you can just see the attention to detail that their team has and each individual has throughout the game. Everybody kind of understands how they fit together, what their role is. Um there are very few moments where a play happens and you go, “What is he doing?” Um, and so, you know, our group, we have to continue to try to fight for the focus of what we want to accomplish as a team while also understanding how we all fit together. Um, because the games like this can be hard to to digest because it wasn’t like from the opening tip, we just got our heads bashed in. Um, there was a lot of good stuff that happened tonight and then we all leave with a bad taste in our mouth because of the final score and how the the second half of the game went. Um, I think Cody is trying really hard defensively. Um, I think offensively, you know, he’s a secondary player and so he’s going to have to play off of actions that are created by others and continue to make quick decisions to shoot, pass, or drive. Um, you know, I think he’s struggling shooting the ball right now. Um, but I think he’s taking really high quality looks. Um, so I want, you know, any player that’s in a a moment where they’re not shooting great, like step one is just you have to take good ones. And I think Cody’s doing that. Um, you know, right now we’re really trying to emphasize with Cody trying to impact the game on the defensive side of the ball. Um, the offensive piece in terms of getting him more involved, I think his best opportunities right now are in transition after a miss. Um and then on the second side of all of our actions, yeah, Ace is getting way more comfortable. Um I think Ace the shots that he’s getting are a little bit less random. Um I think the the actions that we’re using for him, we’ve tried to strip back. Um, I think also some of the actions that we’re running for Lowry, for example, Ace understands where he fits in those moments. You know, we start the year, he’s not starting, now he is. And so, he’s playing with different groups and the play calling can be different when you’re with a different group. So, I think he’s getting a better feel for what he’s looking at. Um, especially when we’re calling plays. And I think that gives any player confidence. Um, you know, I think a hard thing for a lot of guys when they transition into the NBA is they’re used to getting 18 shots a game and in a lot of situations you don’t get that. Like tonight Ace takes nine and so there can be a heightened level of anxiety on every shot. Like every shot feels heavier to you. Um, so I think we’re continuing to try to help him understand what the reads are in the the actions that he’s playing. I just say just uh rearranging our focus. I mean getting back on track. I mean everybody going to go in and run. It’s just a matter of us just getting back on our focus on things we need to focus on. What kind of stuff? Just getting back on defense in transition, talking to each other. Little stuff we can fix. You look at the turnover numbers and you guys had 28 tonight. Like how do you kind of fix those issues? I mean take care of the ball. I mean that’s all you can really do is just take care of the ball. Limit turnovers. I mean that’s the game right there. Turnovers. So we limit that. We win. What kind of lift did Kevin Love give you guys in the first half? I mean, him him scoring, especially him scoring, hitting big shots. I mean, open up the paint for us to uh drive and just kick shots and make open threes. Hey, when you’re out there on the court, what feels natural about how quick you’re making decisions. It’s like the ball’s not sticky when you touch it. You can quickly make a pass, a shot, things like that. I mean, I draw a lot of attention. I mean, my first step kind of quick. I mean, me taking that, I mean, seeing the defense collapse in. I mean, just making the right reads. I mean, just reps. And that still comes from, you’d say, like the film you watch. Film knowing how defenders will play me. I mean, just me also knowing my game. I mean, me knowing that how other teams are going to play me cuz I mean, I do the same thing every game almost. So, it’s just having counters to counters. AJ Deanso was at the game tonight. Did you happen to watch his game earlier? I ain’t get to see his game. I Yeah, we’re pregame halftime at least. Yeah. But, uh, in general, have you watched him play at all? Yeah, I don’t see it either. What do you What do you think of him? my dog. I mean, he a hooper. He a ball player. You going to do what he do. Ace, what do you learn about yourself and your game to this point of your career going up against a team that’s 16 and one that’s as talented as the Thunder? I mean, I’m learning a lot. Just playing, not just just against them. I mean, just finding my shots, finding my teammate shots. I mean, drawing two defenders, kicking, making the right play, getting rebounds, getting second opportunities. I’m just finding as we go, uh, in your guys’ plan. Yeah. turnovers didn’t execute on offense. I think it was 88 84 and they went on I don’t even know what kind of run but um turnovers and not executing offensively and I think we can do a better job on talking defensively in there. So kind of lost the plot for a little bit and that’s kind of the team that going to punish you for that obviously. So what did they have like 45 points of turnover so it’s hard to win like that. having a little bit in the Laker game too where they went on a run in the end of the third quarter. Just like how do you kind of keep focused for 48 minutes, you know, especially against 15. Yeah, that’s something we got to figure out. It’s been happening so many times now and I think it’s kind of getting old for everybody and we’re definitely watching film and kind of figure it out. like we we were up a half like we can play some good basketball and so to so kind of keep focusing and uh keep following the game plan for as close to 48 minutes as we can kind of stringing those good good minutes instead of just good halves you know when you say exe executing offensively what are kind of the things that are falling away when you’re not doing I think in that third quarter we weren’t disorganized we weren’t on the same page uh guys were a little in the wrong spot and Three guys are running this action and two guys are kind of not know what to do and we got to limit those possessions and I think we’ll be fine when we play our way and execute our stuff. Coach mentioned after the game that the challenge of still everyone trying to find their fit together on this team. How what have you noticed in that regard as the season has evolved? Yeah, obviously it’s still a young season. We got new guys on team playing, but I mean we spend a lot of time together. Uh obviously the rhythm and chemistry is going to keep getting better, but we don’t at least I don’t think that’s an excuse. I think we have guys that know what we’re doing. So we just got to keep working on to get the better execution on that. that first half of basketball that you guys played. What was some of the things that stood out that really propelled you to play like that as a team? Playing unselfish basketball, we had we got great looks. Obviously, we made some shots as well, so that helps. But even having the lead at halftime, we still figured in lock that there were so many mistakes defensively that they punished and we could have had a way bigger lead. I think we had a good first half just executing our stuff and but kind of fell apart the second half.

Head coach Will Hardy and Utah Jazz players Lauri Markkanen and Ace Bailey gave their thoughts on the team’s 144-112 loss to the OKC Thunder in the NBA Cup on Friday.