Will Hardy says the battle for point guard minutes will be “Hunger Games” levels of vicious this season.
To that, Talen Horton-Tucker says, “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
The 22-year-old will be one of the more interesting players to watch in camp given the Jazz’s needs at the position. (Though Jordan Clarkson, Lauri Markkanen and John Collins all had some compelling stories to share at Monday’s Media Day.)
In his first season with the Jazz, Horton-Tucker averaged 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in around 20 minutes of play a night. Entering his fifth season, the 6-foot-4 combo guard is building off a year where his role and production fluctuated drastically. At times last season, Horton-Tucker rode the pine in Hardy’s system, in large part due to his lack of shooting and frequent ill-advised turnovers.
However, following the All-Star break, Horton-Tucker transitioned to the point guard position, where his production increased to 17.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. Although struggles with turnovers and shooting persisted, Horton-Tucker displayed promise as a large, athletic, and versatile lead ball handler.
“It just lets you know where you could be,” Horton-Tucker said of that stretch. “It gives you somewhere to measure from.”
But with Collin Sexton and Clarkson now healthy and Keyonte George nipping at playing time, Horton-Tucker will have to battle for minutes.
“You’ve got to go into it ready and prepared to compete every day,” Horton-Tucker said.
His playing time will likely correlate with his ability to take and make open shots. Connecting on less than 30% of his shots from downtown last season, shooting stands as Horton-Tucker’s largest barrier to becoming a positive-impact player. While he has a strong ability to break into the paint, defenses can run under screens and forget about him on the perimeter off-ball.
At only 22 years old, Horton-Tucker is still young with space to improve. But given the competition on Utah’s roster, that development will have to come sooner than later.
Jazz+ details
(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith speaks with Gary Vaynerchuck during the Silicon Slopes Summit at the Delta Center, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023.
The Utah Jazz have announced pricing and details for their direct-to-consumer streaming service, Jazz+. For an annual cost of $125.50, subscribers will have access to live games, exclusive footage, and other original video-on-demand content. People who sign up for an annual plan before Oct. 24 will receive two free tickets to a select Jazz game, a hat, and a T-shirt.
Those who are not interested in signing up for the streaming service can still watch Jazz games this upcoming season over the air on KJZZ.
Will Hardy rounds out coaching staff
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy discusses the upcoming season, during a news conference on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023.
Head Coach Will Hardy has filled out the rest of his coaching staff for the upcoming season. New additions include Chad Forcier, Rick Higgins, Scott Morrison, and Mike Williams. Jason Terry, Lamar Skeeter, and Morisson will join Hardy at the front of the bench.
Additionally, Thomas Kithier and Brandon Robinson have joined the staff as assistant video coordinators. Notable exclusions from last season’s staff include Alex Jensen, Bryan Bailey, and Irv Roland.
