Will Hardy Shines Light on Utah Jazz's 'Winning Player'

Will Hardy Sees John Konchar as a Winning Player

While he may not jump off the page, the archetype that Konchar brings to the table is exactly what the Jazz have been needing on the roster for the past couple of years in an effort to refine their defensive upside.

Utah currently ranks dead-last in the NBA for defensive rating as they have all season, and have needed to find defensive-minded players to add into their rotation since those problems have transpired.

And while Jaren Jackson Jr. was brought in from the Grizzlies as the big ticket for the Jazz to upgrade their defense earlier this month, Konchar has slowly found his way into becoming a nice rotational piece to provide that defensive prowess as well.

For Hardy, the effort that Konchar showcases while filling the role that he does shows both self-awareness and maturity; he knows how he can impact the game as a hustle-driven, high-energy player, which makes it easy to love him from a coach's perspective.

"I think it shows a ton of self-awareness. It shows a ton of maturity, that John knows how he best impacts the game, and he sticks to that,' Hardy continued postgame. "I think there are always opportunities to do a little bit more for everybody, but it takes a lot of humility to say, 'I know my role, what I do best, and what my best role is no matter what team I'm on."

"Sometimes you have guys that are constantly worried about what they're not getting... I think John really is playing the same way that I watched him play in Memphis for years. We're lucky to have him. I think he does a lot of good things for us, and he can play in a lot of different lineups."

With Konchar signed onto contract until next season for just over $6 million, the Jazz wing could even be playing his way into a roster spot for 2026 on a team that's bound to be focused on getting more wins on the board, and will need those defensive-minded players on their side if a playoff jump is indeed the vision Utah wants to accomplish.

Therefore, keep an eye on Konchar across the coming weeks of the NBA season both as a current and future fit on the Jazz roster, as it seems Hardy clearly loves having him in his nightly rotation.