Fans Call Out Utah Jazz’s ‘Shameless Attempt’ To Tank After Coach Will Hardy Benches Starters

Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy did not even try to play coy about his team’s tank operation.

Fans Call Out Utah Jazz’s ‘Shameless Attempt’ To Tank After Coach Will Hardy Benches Starters

Will Hardy (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy faced backlash for benching star players Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the fourth quarter of a close game.
  • The Jazz are currently 13th in the Western Conference with a record of 17-37, raising concerns about potential tanking strategies.
  • Fans criticized the team's actions as a "shameless attempt" to tank, despite the NBA's efforts to prevent such practices.

It appears that head coach Will Hardy and the Utah Jazz have found a loophole to exploit tanking. The Utah Jazz are currently in the process of rebuilding their team. On Monday night, they took on the Miami Heat and came out victorious in a nail-biting 115-111 finish at the Kaseya Center.

It was a rare away win for the Jazz as it was just their seventh win on the road in 27 games. They continue to stay at 13th place in the Western Conference standings and improved their record to 17-37. Meanwhile, the Heat remain in the play-in spots at eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 28-27 record.

Despite the win, the Jazz came under some criticism. This is not the first time the Jazz have come under the scanner for tanking. They have been guilty of it in the past few seasons. While the NBA have been strictly against tanking over the last few years, the Jazz seem to have found a way to avoid any consequences.

Usually, tanking is more or less official when the team’s top players begin to miss games. However, that has not been the case with the Jazz this season. Lauri Markkanen, who has been in the trade rumors for a while, and recently acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. were in the lineup against the Heat. But the biggest surprise to everyone was when Will Hardy sat their two All-Star players in the fourth quarter of their close game.

During the post-match press conference, Hardy was asked about the decision to keep Markkanen and Jackson on the bench late. The reporter asked how close the head coach was to putting the two stars back in the game in the fourth quarter. Hardy did not hesitate with his answer:

I wasn’t.

Tanking is an issue the NBA has been dealing with for quite some time now. But it looks like the Jazz have found a way to tank and simultaneously develop some chemistry and continuity with Jackson Jr. and some of his teammates expected to be on the team next year.

Fans were left livid after Will Hardy benched his star players in the fourth quarter

It is never appealing when teams begin to tank. The NBA have taken various steps to prevent teams from taking such calls in the middle of the season. The play-in tournament was introduced to stop tanking. While there have been improvements, it is a problem that may never get completely resolved.

Following the game, NBA fans took to social media to express their disappointment.

With a talented 2026 class coming up, teams will find ways to tank as the 2025-26 campaign progresses. Unfortunately, the biggest losers out of this are the NBA fans.

Bam Adebayo takes subtle jab against Utah Jazz

This is not the first time this season the Jazz benched their star players in the final quarter of the game. Last Saturday against the Orlando Magic, the Jazz chose to settle for a 120-117 loss despite leading by as many as 17 points. Fortunately or unfortunately, Hardy’s move did not pay off on Monday as his team came out on top.

Bam Adebayo
Bam Adebayo (Image credits – HeatMuse/X)

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo expressed frustration about how he and the Heat ended up losing.

We gotta find a way to win even against teams that are, I guess you could say, trying to lose.

The upcoming 2026 Draft Class will feature an overwhelming talent led by AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson, and the Jazz are certainly positioning themselves to grab one of them. They currently have a nine-percent chance to win the 2026 first overall pick.

Also Read: