Jazz mailbag, Part II: Walker Kessler learning to play with John Collins, Taylor Hendricks’ development and more

At this juncture, it’s no surprise that fans of the Utah Jazz are itching for the 2023-24 season to begin and have a lot of questions as we gear up for things to get underway. It makes sense that when I sent out the call for mailbag questions late last week, I got so many that I had to split the mailbag into two articles.

Related

• Jazz mailbag, Part I: The latest on the guard battle, Kris Dunn, John Collins and more

So, without further adieu, here’s part II.

I would argue that incorporating John Collins is going to be part of Walker Kessler’s development.

Barring any major setbacks or injuries, both Collins and Kessler have long careers ahead of them and the adjustments that they make in order to benefit this team are things that they’re going to have to get used to.

NBA teams are always changing and growing and forced to play a new style depending on the personnel. Kessler needs to adapt to the idea that he might have to play alongside a different frontcourt every year, and each time there is a personnel change, that might mean learning how to open things up so they don’t get clogged, or taking up more space because there is a lack of bodies.

I really see this as a good thing for Kessler. It could lead to some struggles and some clunky stuff early on, but this is something he needs to go through and it’s kind of great that it’s happening so early in Kessler’s career. It’s a good lesson in how the NBA is going to work.

Essentially calling a rookie a bust before their rookie season even begins is absolutely bonkers.

I think it is really clear that Jazz coach Will Hardy has taken a bit of a different approach when it comes to how to develop rookies. He’s really leaned into the idea that every player has a different path and his early returns suggest that he’s onto something.

I think it’s a good idea to look at Keyonte George and Taylor Hendricks through the lens of Walker Kessler and Ochai Agbaji. Kessler was a later pick, but the Jazz needed help at his position in a more immediate way than they needed wing depth when the season started last year.

Kessler started the season out on the bench but showed pretty quickly that he was going to be able to help out and he flourished in his role. Agbaji, although a lottery pick, needed some time and he had players ahead of him on the roster and needed to get reps in the G League while waiting for the right opportunity.

Related

• Don’t worry, Jazz fans, Taylor Hendricks is where he needs to be

George has shown that he can help the Jazz and it’s at a position that is in flux where the depth chart is concerned. Meanwhile, Hendricks is still really green and he needs some time to be NBA-ready. Since Hendricks isn’t going to be getting minutes ahead of Lauri Markkanen, John Collins and Kelly Olynyk, it makes sense to bring Hendricks along at a slower pace.

I still think the same things about Hendricks that I thought when he was drafted. He’s got an insane NBA frame with excellent length and good instincts and is a great shooter. The fact that he has all these natural gifts gives him great upside. He just needs time.

This might be a better question for us to revisit once the Jazz have played 15-20 games. I can see this going in a lot of directions.

If the Jazz are going to actually use a four-guard lineup, the defensive concerns could be at the four or it could be that Kessler is asked to do too much. If the Jazz are playing a more traditional lineup, it could be that there’s some confusion between Kessler’s and Collins’ roles or that there’s a log jam at times.

Or, the issues could be in the backcourt. If Kris Dunn is not on the court, who is guarding the best guard on the opposing team? And, do the Jazz have the wing defense to help out the guys down low?

These are all things that we can speculate on now, but I think we need to see some legitimate games before we know where the defensive gaps are on this roster.

Honestly, I think a lot of the preseason has been used to try and figure out what pairings work between point guard and shooting guard and so there hasn’t been as much attention paid to what’s happening at the three.

I’m not worried about this at all and I don’t think Hardy or anyone in the Jazz is either. Agbaji has proven that he’s ready to take on a larger role and he’s slated to be a sure part of the Jazz’s rotation.

That being said, 15-20 minutes a game is probably what we’re going to see from Agbaji, depending on the game/matchup/situation. So he’s right where he needs to be.

The Jazz have a ton of future assets and they certainly won’t be making all those draft selections. The whole reason the Jazz amassed so many future picks was to make big trades when the time is right.

So, yes, I do see a trade on the horizon but that’s independent of any need to get rookies playing time and it might not come this season.

Two things need to be made clear when it comes to Brice Sensabaugh.

One, he was the 28th pick in the draft so there are no expectations for him. If he ends up being someone that the Jazz can use, great. If not, it’s not like they sold the farm to get him. Two, he’s 19 years old and he’s already had two knee surgeries. He was a high-risk/high-reward pick.

Sensabaugh is a natural and gifted scorer and I’ve seen that in the small amount I’ve been able to watch him in practice or scrimmages. But his most recent surgery was in March so there’s no reason to rush him along or expect anything out of him right away. The Jazz will be patient with him and will have their focus on guys that are much higher on the roster for the time being.

As I said above, no one is taking Hendricks’ minutes. The minutes just aren’t there if we’re being perfectly honest.

As for Luka Samanic, I don’t know if he’ll make the opening day roster. His contract has staggered guarantee dates — the first one being the start of the regular season and the second one in early January. So if he’s on the opening-day roster, that doesn’t mean that he’ll finish the season with the Jazz, only that they’re giving him two more months to prove himself.