LAS VEGAS — Alex Jensen’s tenure as head coach has come to an end.
The Jazz assistant, who’s been the lead bench boss for the Utah Jazz during their summer league so far, is headed to Germany to help coach that country’s national team during the EuroBasket 2015 tournament.
Jensen bid adieu — or Auf Wiedersehen — to his players and the team after Tuesday’s 91-82 NBA Summer League loss ot the Phoenix Suns. He will now fly to Europe for a new temporary coaching gig as the Jazz continue their two-week summer stint.
"It’s great. I still am rusty (as a head coach),” said Jensen, who was named the D-League coach of the year for his performance with the Canton Charge before joining the Jazz staff in 2013. “I think No. 1, you gain a better appreciation for the head coach, for Coach (Quin) Snyder. I think it will help me be a better assistant to him.”
The Jazz swept their own summer league, beating the Celtics, Spurs and Sixers last week, and went 1-2 under Jensen’s tutelage in the first portion of the Las Vegas league.
Utah looked like a tired team that had just played its sixth game in nine nights on Tuesday while losing a mostly one-sided game to Phoenix, 91-82 at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Bryce Cotton, JaJuan Johnson and Jared Cunningham each scored 13 points for the Summer Jazz, but Utah fell behind by as many as 19 points.
Suns small forward Devin Booker, picked one spot in the lottery after the Jazz’s No. 12 selection Trey Lyles, led all scorers with 18 points.
Utah, the 13th seed of the 24-team field, will begin the NBA Summer League tournament on Wednesday against Washington at 6 p.m. MT.
With Jensen’s departure, Jazz assistant Mike Wells will take over as head coach for as long as Utah remains alive in this tournament. The team is guaranteed at least two more games.
“He’ll probably do a better job,” Jensen said with a smile. “He knows as much as I do. He will be fine.”
Though he doesn’t speak much German, Jensen looks forward to gaining an experience coaching international hoops after a friend recommended him to Germany’s head coach.
For the Jazz, this German arrangement will work out splendidly, seeing as Jensen coaches Utah’s bigs and newly signed center Tibor Pleiss is that nation’s center.
“I’m sure I’ll be able to spend a lot of time with him,” Jensen said. “Whether it’s one-on-one or not, I’m looking forward to that, getting a better feel (of him) as a player and a person.”
JAZZ NOTES: Second-year players Dante Exum (ankle), Rodney Hood (shoulder) and Grant Jerrett (shoulder) did not play again. ... Former Jazz guard Earl Watson, recently hired as a Phoenix assistant, helped coach the Suns. ... Lyles missed all five 3-point attempts he took.
EMAIL: jody@desnews.com
TWITTER: DJJazzyJody