School’s in session for Utah Jazz youngsters, and two vets have become the T.A.s

For a while in the NBA, many teams subscribed to the idea that young players, particularly rookies, should be seen but not heard.

The old-school mentality went something like: Listen to what the coaches and vets tell you, then shut up and go do it.

That’s not the case with the 2022-23 Utah Jazz — nor do they want it to be. The simple fact is, with so many young players and new faces on the team in general, no one really knows what they’re doing yet. And so, if rookies Ochai Agbaji and Walker Kessler (and even European vet but NBA rookie Simone Fontecchio) don’t understand a component of new coach Will Hardy’s scheme, they’re not being shy about speaking up.

And their coaches and teammates love it.

“This group of rookies, they’ve been extremely forthcoming with questions. A lot of guys’ tendency can be to kind of just fall to the back and nod their head, even if they’re a little unsure,” Hardy said.

He praised his assistant coaches for quickly developing relationships with players that at least make them comfortable asking for explanation or clarification in 1-on-1 settings, if not in front of the group at large.

Beyond the assistants, though, many players have cited veteran guards Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson for being their go-to sources — even as those two are learning the new system themselves.

“This is actually really my first experience with so many young guys, let alone rookies. The rookies are very intelligent and very in tune with trying to get better. But as a whole, you’ve still got Collin [Sexton], you’ve still got Nickeil [Alexander-Walker], you’ve still got Jared [Butler] — guys who’ve been around the league a little bit, but who are still asking questions,” Conley said. “It’s a lot! I’m getting one every two minutes about something.”

Clarkson admitted it’s a new role for him, but one that he’s trying to embrace after Hardy pulled him aside early in their time together and told him that his “wide variety of NBA experiences” could be a resource for helping the younger players learn and assimilate more quickly.

“It’s just kind of taking me out of my comfort zone a little, in terms of being who I am as a player,” Clarkson said. “… I’m trying to get [all of Hardy’s concepts] down faster than everybody else so I can just keep pushing that needle forward.”

It’s had an impact. Conley said he now makes it a point to pull young players aside whenever he can if he feels he has something to teach or show them. Clarkson said he was surprised to have young vets Lauri Markkanen and Malik Beasley frequently picking his brain.

Jarred Vanderbilt, another young vet, said it’s been good to see those veteran guards go from quiet to demonstrative — because on this team, it’s needed.

“JC, Mike — those guys are more lead-by-example [types], but I think with this young group, we need y’all’s voice. We need them to talk more, on both ends,” Vanderbilt said. “They know a lot, they’ve been in this league for a long time, they know how to play basketball, they know the right things, and they see a long of things the young guys don’t necessarily see. So just by them speaking up, it goes a long way.”

Conley the coach?

Given his role as go-to vet, and considering he just turned 35, Conley was asked if he foresees an NBA future for himself beyond his playing days.

“It’s not out of the picture. I don’t know if I’ll be a good coach or anything. I told the young guys, ‘I don’t know if I can coach you guys!’ I don’t think I got the patience,” he said, laughing. “They’re like my kids in a sense — I don’t know if I can coach ’em. But we’ll see. I might just wake up one day and that decision.”

Told that he received votes in the “Player Most Likely to be a Future Coach” category of the annual NBA GMs survey, he lit up.

“Oooohhh! Maybe I’ll be a GM instead!” he said.

Rock and Roll All Nite … and get paid every day

After the Jazz’s preseason game Tuesday night against Gregg Popovich and the Spurs, Jared Butler came to his media session wearing a T-shirt of the famed rock ‘n’ roll band KISS. Me being a noted rock ‘n’ roll fan, I asked him, “Are you a fan, or is it just a shirt?”

After looking at me like I had devil horns protruding from my head and laughing, he replied, “Just a shirt.” But then he added, “But, I mean, KISS is undeniably rich, so …”