Jazz lose by 28 to Pistons in one of worst performances of the season

Three thoughts on the Utah Jazz’s 134-106 loss to the Detroit Pistons from Salt Lake Tribune Jazz beat writer Andy Larsen.

1. That was one of the worst professional basketball performances I’ve ever seen

You know, it’s a bad basketball team. The record shows that. I’m not breaking any news to you.

But sometimes, the Jazz have been a fun basketball team anyway. When they play for one another, when they try hard, when they show flashes of smart basketball, then it all looks like it’s building to something.

If they play like they did tonight, they look like they’re at the rock bottom of the rebuild.

Two things really bothered me. First, the turnovers: 28 overall is an absurd amount. Previously, when the Jazz had 29 turnovers in a game, at least that was against the omnipresent, league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder’s defense. This was against the Detroit Pistons, an average defense.

Here’s Brice Sensabaugh just trying to dribble past a guy to immediately bad results, for example:

Second, the shot selection when the Jazz were able to keep the ball was atrocious. Here’s Johnny Juzang fumbling the ball, missing a one-dribble pull-up with forever left on the shot clock, and then, on the next possession, missing the next shot from the same spot by a foot.

Svi Mykhailiuk and Collin Sexton also just put up some wild stepback shots.

The defense continues to be real rough, too. The Pistons shot 26% from three tonight and still beat the Jazz by 28 points, because they scored 134 on some incredibly lax halfcourt and transition defense. The Pistons shot 15-17 at the rim and 25-34 in the midrange — the Jazz were just really easy to beat.

To be sure, there will be many games in which the Jazz will be out-talented by their opposition, tonight included. But it can’t be this ugly on both sides of the ball, or else the rebuild will begin in earnest with a whole new group of players.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) loses control of the ball with Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh (28) during an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 3, 2025.

2. How does the tank work?

Jazz fan Addison Shurtz asked me the following on Twitter:

The way this whole tanking thing ideally works is:

The players try their hardest when they are on the floor, and work their hardest when they’re off of it.
The coaches generally try their hardest — but also prioritize development in their decisions.
The front office personnel generally try to make the team lose games (primarily through the injury report) while also identifying which young players will be part of the next good Jazz team.

And truth be told, the Jazz have gotten pretty close to that ideal. But there are definitely nights where it gets messy. There are also clearly times when Hardy goes for the win over going for development. There are clearly times when the players aren’t trying their hardest.

I asked Kyle Filipowski about that — not to blame him or anything, but because he’s a young player who would be affected by this:

“No matter who’s playing or who’s not playing, that shouldn’t affect how hard I work,” Filipowski said. “It can definitely feel odd at times … it’s kind of hard to — it’s not hard, but, you know, you kind of have to shift perspectives.”

As I’ve written, my overall preference would be that the NBA change the sport so tanking isn’t incentivized any more, so we don’t have these three groups in the same organization with different priorities.

3. Let’s say some nice things as a palate cleanser

That was a horrible basketball game, and put me in a dark place with regards to the Jazz’s future. So, mostly for my sanity, and perhaps yours as a reader, I’m going to note some nice things about the Jazz right now.

• The TV distribution is largely in a good place. SEG+ works really well, and it’s legitimately nice to be able to watch Jazz games on any device for less than I was paying for cable.

• Speaking of which, Lauren Green is absolutely terrific at sideline reporting. She works really hard behind the scenes. She’s been an excellent addition this season.

• Jazz fans haven’t abandoned the Delta Center. I can’t tell you how many three-quarters-empty buildings I’ve seen the Jazz play rebuilding teams in across the country — Jazz fans are still engaged here in Utah, remarkably. I don’t know that there is infinite patience for the rebuild, but at least the atmosphere is still there.

• The cheap food selections available for sale at Jazz and hockey games at the Delta Center are appreciated.

• Jazz PR has done a really great job of working with media this season, getting us the interviews we need to get stories to you all.

• The jerseys aren’t yellow anymore. At least they changed that quickly.

• I generally think Will Hardy, when he’s had reasonable players to work with, has overperformed expectations.

• Walker Kessler looks like a building block.

• Many stars would be demanding a trade if their team were in this situation, but Lauri Markkanen’s temperament is such that he isn’t going to. He legitimately really likes Utah. That’s good.

• That commercial where Taylor Hendricks can’t move off his couch due to his broken leg so he throws a basketball to try to open the door is enjoyable.

• Oscar Tshiebwe is an absolutely delightful human being.

• Isaiah Collier’s pass-first mentality is promising.

There’s a list! It’s probably not a complete list. There are probably other good things. But that’s some of them.

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1. That was one of the worst professional basketball performances I’ve ever seen

2. How does the tank work?

3. Let’s say some nice things as a palate cleanser

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