Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy spent over a minute in a press conference this week talking about how much he loves coaching former Wisconsin star Micah Potter. Those reflections must have made him realize that Potter deserved a chance to start because the day after those comments, Potter found his way into the Utah Jazz starting lineup.
Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy talking about Micah Potter, who I think is good enough to be on a standard NBA contract pic.twitter.com/UiZYdwwD4C
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) January 4, 2025
Micah Potter is praised by Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy and, the following day, finds a starting role for the Jazz.
Potter is one of many NBA players who finds himself with a two-way contract in the NBA. This means he splits his time between the NBA and the G-league (the NBA's developmental league). This ability to split time is not easy for many players, and coach Hardy recognizes this, "He's as professional of a player as I've been around. His ability to deal with the situation of being a two-way and maintain a high level of focus, maintain a high level of connectivity to his teammates." He concludes his words about Potter by saying, "I think sometimes we are all a little bit dismissive of guys on two-way contracts. Micah is an NBA player."
Maybe the funniest part of the whole spiel he gave to Potter was when he talked about Potter's preparation before games, "There's plenty of nights that Micah knows the scouting report better than half the coaching staff; he can be a pain in the ass some nights in that way." Hardy smiled after saying that and then said, "He's been so fun to coach. He's a really good player."
The day after Hardy said these words, Potter found himself in the starting lineup for the Utah Jazz in a 105-92 win over the Orlando Magic. Potter played for 21 minutes, scored three points, and had one block, one steal, and two rebounds. It was a relatively forgettable night regarding the stats, but he is earning his coach's respect and playing time because of it. We will see if Potter can earn an NBA contract instead of a two-way contract as the year continues.