Jazz bolster lottery odds with blowout loss to Wizards

SALT LAKE CITY — The ultimate tank battle took place at the Delta Center Wednesday, and it was the Washington Wizards who picked up the 133-110 win as the hunt for better NBA draft lottery odds intensifies.

Utah and Washington met as two teams in a similar spot in their rebuilds, with both making trade deadline acquisitions to signal the desire to win next season after hoping to add more top-end talent in this summer's highly touted NBA draft.

The Wizards traded for former All-Stars Anthony Davis and Trae Young, while the Jazz added former defensive player of the year Jaren Jackson Jr. at the deadline. Davis has yet to suit up for Washington, while Young has played sparingly.

With each team focused on competing next year, both the Jazz and Wizards have spent the post-All Star break giving more minutes to its younger players in an effort to develop them and see who can be a contributor when the team is at full strength.

When asked about the growth of key young players Ace Bailey, Cody Williams, and Isaiah Collier, Jazz head coach Will Hardy spoke highly of their individual progress and growth this season.

"I'm very pleased," Hardy said. "They've all improved in a bunch of different ways. I think they've shown the ability to learn, too, which is very exciting. Sometimes it takes a while for things to be taken from the practice floor and actually implement it in games with success."

Washington's group of young players outshined Utah's, however, as they took an early lead in the first quarter and never relinquished it. The Wizards' lead ballooned to as much as 37 points thanks to the stellar play of two rookies.

Julian Reese recorded his second double-double of his career, posting 26 points and 17 rebounds, while Will Riley added a double-double of his own in a 19-point, 10-rebound effort.

Williams led the Jazz in scoring with 24 points playing all over the court. He spent time bringing the ball up but also played center at times throughout the game. Williams, along with Bailey, have had more opportunities in different roles as the season winds down.

"I've been really pleased, and we're all very proud of the way that they're handling themselves in those moments," Hardy said. "It's an opportunity for, on nights like this, for everybody to take on roles that are maybe a little bit above what they've had in a variety of ways."

Williams has made big gains over this past month, showcasing his growth on the offensive side of the ball.

"I've done a better job realizing where I can score, especially in the mid-range, to get to my pull-ups," Williams said. "I feel like that's been very successful. Getting out on transition and run, whether it's causing havoc on defense or just running out on the floor, getting the easy ones in transition. I took the biggest step, just recognizing my strengths offensively."

Poor shooting from Utah added to the team's struggles on the court, with the team shooting just 24% from 3-point range in the game.

Two-way guard Blake Hinson was the only Jazzman to not struggle from deep, scoring 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. Hinson knocked down all four of his triples in the final quarter to reach a new career-high in points.

"Blake is somebody that I feel like we know pretty well at this point," Hardy said. "His ability to catch and shoot and get shots off in tight spaces is definitely something that we are excited about."

It's been a rough couple of seasons for each franchise and their fans, but only nine games remain in what figures to be the last season of Utah's rebuild.

The intention to keep its top-eight protected pick out of the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder and draft another player in the lottery was something the Jazz front office was set on this season.

The vision is clear: Add another top draft pick to a roster already littered with talent and All-Stars in order to build long-term success, not just a playoff team for a couple of seasons.

The Jazz already have franchise pillars set in place with Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Bailey and Jackson. Each have showcased this season what they are capable of and now the focus turns to what players are talented enough to play alongside them next season.

"We don't want to waste a single day that we have with these guys," Hardy said. "It all adds up. And that's our focus, is to maintain our discipline as it relates to our approach. That's on practice days, that's in their individual workouts, that's in the small group workouts, that's in our film work. We need all of it. Any increment of time that we have with our players is really nice."

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