It’s clear what kind of players the Jazz need, and versatility is key

This article was first published as the Jazz Insiders newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Friday.

In the final interview of the season with Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge, the session started out with a question from broadcaster Craig Bolerjack. He asked Ainge what kind of players the Jazz needed, what attributes the Jazz were looking for. Ainge then posed the question back to Bolerjack. He wanted to know what Bolerjack thought the Jazz needed.

“I think obviously youth is one, athleticism would be another, length would be one, defending would be, I think another high level need or want. But I only call games and you get to solve the players,” he said with a laugh.

Ainge wasn’t being confrontational at all. He wanted us all to understand that the problems with the Jazz, and the holes on the roster that we all see, are the correct ones.

“It was a good answer,” Ainge said. “You answered your own question. I tell my grandchildren that all the time, ‘You can answer that question.’”

On a bit of a deeper level, I think it’s obvious that the Jazz want to put together a team that is built for the playoffs, and that means getting players that are not one-dimensional. The Jazz don’t just want a player who is young and athletic, or another player who is long and a defense-first guy. They want every player to have all of those attributes. They want versatile players that will sustain long-term careers and make the team successful when the games really matter in the postseason.

It’s what I’ve been thinking a lot about as I’ve been watching the first round of this year’s NBA playoffs. What works, and what doesn’t work?

“Optionality of being able to do multiple things is a huge factor for me as you get to the playoffs,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. “I just don’t think you can throw fast balls the whole playoffs and win. You have to be able to pivot to something else on both sides of the floor, because certain matchups give you different problems. We are building a foundation with our players of being able to switch their mindset in a game or before a game.”

So as we continue to move through the playoffs and we get nearer to the draft and free agency, it’s important to look at what players end up on the Jazz roster. We don’t have to try to talk ourselves into believing that a one-dimensional player will end up on the roster long term. There are going to be plenty of players over the next couple of years that are with the Jazz short term.

But, when the Jazz find players that fit the bill and really feel like they fill a need, one that we can all see and understand, those are the players that will stick and that the Jazz want.

New with the Jazz

How to pass the time in the offseason

Now that the Utah Jazz offseason is officially upon us, it’s time to once again look for ways to fill the hole that Jazz games once occupied.

It probably is a little obvious to say that watching the playoffs is a great way to get a basketball fix, but it really is! More importantly, as I mentioned above, watching playoff basketball is really helpful when considering where the Jazz are in their rebuild.

The playoff matchups have been really exciting, and the second-round series between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, which kicks off on Saturday, is one that I can’t wait to watch. On a broad scale, the playoff games have reminded me of how far the Jazz are from being able to compete at the highest level.

Think about how the results in the postseason will impact the Jazz. Do the Jazz have a player that could match up with some of the emerging stars in the Western Conference? Can the Jazz capitalize on some of the teams that were upset in the first round by making deals for players? What do the shakeups mean in terms of what could happen on draft night?

The NBA playoffs, in my opinion, are the best time of the year, and that’s not only because it’s the best basketball of the year. It’s also because everything that plays out during the playoffs impacts what happens for the upcoming season.

From the archives

Extra points

• What are the Jazz’s offseason plans? Well, that depends on the rest of the NBA ( Deseret News )
• Where does Keyonte George figure into the Jazz’s future success? ( Deseret News )
• What’s the offseason priority for Utah Jazz rookies? Get in the best shape of their lives ( Deseret News )
• The similarities behind the Jazz and Coyotes relocations nearly 45 years apart ( KSL.com )

Around the league

• Los Angeles Lakers fire head coach Darvin Ham .
• Timberwolves coach Chris Finch is back with the team after surgery to repair torn patellar tendon.
• Changes to betting menus could be on the way after Jontay Porter scandal.