The one major area that jazz needs to address is painfully obvious

The Utah Jazz have made strides this season. Sure, the progressions are a bit frustrating due to the ambiguity surrounding their choice situation, but at least they’re watchable compared to last year’s product. But because the Jazz have played like they were trying, it’s become painfully obvious that they need to shore up their defense.

Will Hardy has proven his worth over the past four years, which is why the Jazz happily extended him last year. However, the team’s shortcomings on that end of the field have been difficult to ignore over the past four seasons.

Some might get it twisted because it might look bad for Walker Kessler. No, the Jazz achieved these numbers despite Kessler’s efforts on defense. It’s more a reflection of how consistently bad the Jazz’s D has been over this span than it is on Kessler. Like shaming Rudy Gobert because the Jazz defense was bad when it was clear the problem was who they put next to him.

Anyway, the point is that if the Jazz are serious about winning in the near future, and not trading Markkanen signals that they are, they need to add plus defensemen. Kessler alone won’t cut it (and we’re still not sure if the idea is to keep Kessler).

Hardy can do his best to get the most out of his guys, but Utah will need more defensemen in the coming years to really make their mark in the West.

There are several ways the Jazz can do this

Utah has several options to improve its defense. Since they are in line to become players in free agency this season, they can sign one or two plus defensemen with the cap room they are expected to have.

They can also use that cap space to trade for a plus defender. Due to the NBA’s tax deferrals, teams will try to reduce their payroll to avoid these consequences. It wouldn’t be too much of a shock if some teams were willing to let go of their well-paid, defensively strong veterans.

Utah could also turn to the draft, but unfortunately no one knows if the Jazz will keep their pick when it’s all said and done. More than anything, the Jazz simply need a player who can set the tone on the defensive end of the court. If a player sets a positive example for them, it can go a long way in inspiring the rest of the team to play that way consistently.

The defense isn’t the only area where the Jazz desperately need improvement, but it is the most glaring flaw in their current build.