Nearing the end of lost season, Hardy urges ‘anytime you take the floor in the

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HOUSTON — The Utah Jazz have been the worst team in the league since the trade deadline — and it’s really not that close. Since their deadline moves, the Jazz have the worst record in the league and the worst defensive rating by a wide margin.

That defense was on full display in Houston. The Rockets scored 85 points in the first half, hit 27 3-pointers, and it felt like things could have been worse than a 147-119 final score.

So with 11 games left in the season, is there anything to play for?

For Jazz coach Will Hardy, that answer is simple.

“You go into halftime and down 30, it’s hard to bounce back, but you have to find that element within you, the pride,” Hardy said.

In essence, that’s what the Jazz players have been asked to play for since Feb. 8. Utah made moves to get worse — it sent three rotational players and didn’t get another back in return. It handcuffed Hardy, demoralized the team, and the last six weeks have been the result.

Things aren’t likely to get better in the final three weeks of the season.

The Jazz are likely to nurse some injuries — or at the very least not rush anyone back — so it’ll be the young kids and two-way players getting the bulk of the minutes. That’ll likely mean more results that mirror what happened in Houston.

Hardy doesn’t want to see results dictate effort or execution.

“You also have to have the recognition that all these minutes matter,” Hardy said. “Somebody’s always watching and you always have something to play for. This is a business and these guys are trying to make careers for themselves, and so every minute that you get to play an NBA game is valuable. You should never take any of those for granted. There are a lot of players who are out of the league right now who would be foaming at the mouth to get five minutes in an NBA game.”

The Jazz coach said players should recognize that “nothing is guaranteed in this business” and not be afraid to tap into a “selfish element” if needed.

“I want our team to always be thinking about the Utah Jazz and competing for our team, but there also is a selfish element that you should tap into and say ‘I’m gonna do everything I can every single night to represent myself in a positive way, because I want to be in this league and I want to make money and I’m trying to provide for my family,'” Hardy said.

“Wherever you find your inspiration, that’s up to you, but anytime you take the floor in the NBA, it matters.”

Even at the end of a lost forgettable season.

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