Don’t worry, Jazz fans, Taylor Hendricks is where he needs to be
There was a lot of hype leading up to the 2023 draft and during the summer about No. 9 overall pick Taylor Hendricks.
After the Utah Jazz’s first two preseason games, and the lack of playing time for Hendricks, many have been left wondering if their expectations were too high, or if they’d fallen victim to unfair hype for the rookie out of UCF.
“He’s been great in practice. He’s very diligent. He’s always trying to do what you ask him to do.” — Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy on Jazz rookie Taylor Hendricks
It’s absolutely fair to wonder about Hendricks and how he’s coming along, but at this point there is a lot of evidence that makes me want to tell Jazz fans to hold off on their judgements.
The facts
It’s true that Hendricks didn’t get any first-half playing time in the two preseason games against the Los Angeles Clippers. He checked in after both Simone Fontecchio and Ömer Yurtseven in the first game, playing the entirety of the fourth quarter, and then only got in to play the final five minutes in the second game.
It’s easy to look at another rookie, Keyonte George, who received a lot of playing time in the first half, alongside starters, and think that there might be some things holding Hendricks back, and frankly there are.
It’s important not to forget how cautious the Jazz have been with their rookies. They held Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh out of Summer League play as Hendricks nursed a hamstring injury and Sensabaugh continued rehab following knee surgery.
That means that Hendricks has not played competitively in six months. While George suffered an ankle sprain during Summer League play, he was able to at least play.
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We also know that Jazz coach Will Hardy is not one to rush the development process. Because we saw so much late-season success with Walker Kessler and Ochai Agbaji last year, it’s easy to forget that Kessler started out the year on the bench and Agbaji, who was also a lottery pick, started out in the G League. Hardy has stressed in the past that every player’s development path is different and so far, his philosophy has paid off.
Most importantly, the Jazz have had four days of practice and just two preseason games together as a team. To say it’s early is an understatement.
What the team thinks
To this point, we haven’t heard anything from Hardy or from the Jazz front office that hasn’t been full support and belief in Hendricks.
The Jazz were extremely happy about drafting Hendricks and about his long-term potential. And, team sources have said that as the Jazz fielded calls over the summer about potential trades, they didn’t want to have conversations that involved moving Hendricks. That wouldn’t be the case if they didn’t think he was going to pan out to be a solid NBA player.
“He’s been great in practice,” Hardy said of Hendricks during training camp. “He’s very diligent. He’s always trying to do what you ask him to do. He’s quiet, for sure. We have some extroverts on our team and so he sort of steps to the back a little bit. But I think, again, his work ethic and his athleticism stands out day-to-day. I think he’s just a very, very diligent person starting to sort of find his rhythm as a young pro. So I’m excited about Taylor.”
Hardy doesn’t have to say things like this, and Hardy is not one to sugarcoat things without reason. Also, Hendricks’ teammates have reported being impressed during training camp. So these are all good signs.
Situational context
If you want to compare George’s early opportunities with the Jazz to what we’ve seen for Hendricks, you also have to take into account the differences in the roster situations.
It’s no secret that the point guard position on this Jazz team is up for grabs, and while Hardy has leaned into the idea of playing backcourt pairings rather than designating a singular guard to run the show, that doesn’t mean the competition isn’t at an all-time high.
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Within that context, George has an opportunity to compete for a larger role than many might have expected or than he would have had on another team with a more established backcourt.
Hendricks, on the other hand, is not competing for starting minutes, and there are players ahead of him on the depth chart that will make it more difficult to stand out right away. Depending on the matchup and on where players are being used, Hendricks is behind John Collins, Kelly Olynyk, and even Lauri Markkanen in certain instances. So, there’s a difference purely based on the roster.
Also, at the position that Hendricks will play, there is a lot more strength required. The players he’ll be going up against are bigger and stronger than many of the smaller guards in the league and for a 19-year-old, he’s going to have to get used to a level of physicality that often isn’t required from guards.
That’s not to say that guards are not strong players or that they don’t play physically. But battling for rebounds and holding your own against bruising post players just requires a different kind of strength.
The overarching point here is that Hendricks is on a team that wants him and believes in him and that he’s not ahead or behind of where he needs to be at this point.
I’m open to changing my expectations or even changing my opinion on this, but with just two preseason games logged and a handful of practices, it’s too early to say anything more.
