Will Hardy, head coach of the Utah Jazz, has often stressed that he does not have excessive expectations of his players, but there are two things every player must do to earn his playing time, and that is “play hard and pass.”

The good news is that Hardy doesn't have to do much to convey that message to the three new Jazz rookies: Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski.

“Will talks about a lot of things, but the main thing he talks about is you don't play free minutes and you have to move the ball,” Jazz general manager Justin Zanik said Tuesday as the team officially introduced the rookies. “So having players that like to pass and can pass gives you a really good foundation to improve your game.”

Each of the three rookies comes to the Jazz with a foundation built on effort and hard work, and they are all skilled and willing passers. Importantly (especially when it comes to pleasing their new head coach), these three players aren't too concerned about scoring points.

“The biggest impact I can have is defensively,” Williams said. “We practiced today and improved the numbers — (the Jazz were) 30th in the league in 3-point attempts allowed and 30th in defensive percentage last year. So I come with my length, my size and my versatility, especially as a freshman. That's the defensive end I can focus on.”

Williams, selected 10th overall by the Jazz, showed off his defensive versatility, pick-and-roll ability and playmaking ability last season in Colorado, and he believes those traits translate directly to the NBA.

Collier, selected 29th overall by the Jazz, has been praised for his passing and playmaking abilities since his high school days, and last season at USC he showed not only that, but also his toughness on defense and his ability to play through physical contact. Still, Collier said he won't take anything for granted at the next level.

“I still have to prove myself and I'm just happy to be in this situation,” he said. “I can make a living playing basketball, which is a blessing.”

Filipowski may be 7'4″ tall, but he has worked really hard to lay the foundation for his game, even modeling some of his performances after players like Lauri Markkanen and Nikola Jokic.

All three rookies will play in both the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas Summer Leagues, and while they're excited for the experience, they're not sure what to expect.

“To be honest, I have no idea,” Filipowski said with a laugh. “I'm a newbie and I'm just excited to soak it all in. I love learning as much as I can from the people around me and just trying to enrich myself as much as I can.”

For Zanik, that's a welcome prospect. He said he doesn't want to place unnecessary expectations on the rookies, because their performance during Summer League won't determine their rookie season. Rather, their careers will be determined by how they take advantage of their opportunities during the season – in the NBA or G League – how quickly they develop and how willing they are to learn.

And of course there are no free minutes if they don't play hard and pass.