Utah Jazz opens rebuilding season with loss to Memphis Grizzlies

The Utah Jazz didn't get exactly what they wanted in their season opener against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Delta Center on Wednesday night, but they got some of it. Enough of it to feel “good,” as Will Hardy put it, about what happened. And while they accepted the beautiful defeat, the Jazz also painted a meaningful picture of their plan for the brand new 2024-25 season.

It's not a big reveal. Get used to it.

What happened here will happen again and again this season, and we're not just talking about the 126-124 loss. This is how jazz lost.

They failed to give their key young players time on the court and get them to respond in any meaningful way, and then, when things were pretty back-and-forth, the Jazz relied on their established players to wipe away a deep deficit , and that's exactly what these veterans did, turning a defeat into a competitive game, a missed defeat by a lot.

I know it kind of sounds like we're talking about a rec league soccer match between 10-year-olds the Leapin' Lizards and the Green Slime, and not an NBA game. Good job, good performance, guys. No. No one passed out Otter Pops afterward. But in this first regard, there was one notable exception to this jazz failure: Walker Kessler. That's the best news that could come out of Game 1. Kessler scored 16 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked five shots. He played strong, went hard to the rim, had some key tip-ins and went to work on the boards.

Hardy praised Kessler for his performance and congratulated the center on the diligent work he put in during the offseason, acknowledging that such work is not fun but simply worth it. “It's great for him to have this game on opening night,” Hardy said, hinting that more would come from Kessler in the nights, weeks and months to come.

As for the rest of the young crew… well, that was a dim light in a dark room. Taylor Hendricks, starting for the Jazz, threw a Bic lighter, hitting 4 of 7 shots, including 3 of 5 from deep, for 12 points. After that it went steeply downhill. Keyonte George had a terrible night, making just three of 18 attempts, including some moves to the basket that looked like something out of an old Western cartoon. A fight outside a saloon. George dribbled into a cloud of dust in which stars and exclamation points appeared before the dust settled and a Grizzly player flew the ball in the opposite direction and rolled up the floor. He managed to distribute seven assists. Brice Sensabaugh and Cody Williams appeared but played no role in just over 30 minutes between them.

The above picture was, as expected, crushed by Lauri Markkanen (35 points), Jordan Clarkson (17 points), Collin Sexton (16 points) and John Collins (11 points, five boards).

The problem with these performances, not just in this first game but in all games to come, is that the Jazz have seen it all before. They know what these guys are capable of and what they aren't capable of. What they can do is play decent basketball, with Markkanen on his way to playing brilliant basketball. What they can't do is take the Jazz where management and ownership say they want the team – to an NBA championship.

That's why the Jazz eliminated three All-Stars a few years ago, because those top players could get the Jazz into the playoffs, but not much past the first round. Hmmm. Markkanen, Clarkson, Sexton and Collins probably won't even get the Jazz to the playoffs. The flexibility and youth Danny Ainge sought in these big trades, some of which have yet to be exercised by future draft picks, haven't made much difference so far.

What's to come is what's to come, but what the Jazz have has to be developed the hard way – by throwing prospects to the ground and hoping they float and don't sink.

That's what this season is all about – staying afloat and not diving into the depths. Currently and in the foreseeable future, it is not about being, but about becoming. The legitimacy of the entire project depends on the growth of the young people. And in all likelihood, the addition of players the Jazz haven't yet signed or acquired.

Wednesday night's game was entertaining. Not so much in the first half – for one stretch the Jazz went five and a half minutes without a field goal – but the second was a struggle. “I think overall there’s more good than bad in this game,” Hardy said. But ultimately, even though the Grizzlies aren't a great team, you kind of felt like the Jazz were going to beat themselves over the head with folding steel chairs. They did what they have done for most of the last two seasons.

Get comfortable…and patient…and then be tolerant.

All of this will be necessary for you as a fan and also for the players, both established and those still in training. It takes time, quality coaching and quality learning. And if it takes more than that, like much better talent… well, we'll meet in the coming nights, weeks and months to talk more about that.