The topic of how to get Taylor Hendricks playing time quickly came up when the Utah Jazz selected him as the ninth overall choice in the 2023 NBA Draft. Before Collins had even entered the court, talks of selling Kelly Olynyk and John Collins had begun, with the idea being that Hendricks would be the team’s future. Nobody realized that Keyonte George was the most attractive of the three.
Hendricks would ultimately experience a kind of slow burn, playing in the G-League far more than many anticipated, and then spending more time on the bench. As the Jazz’s season came to a conclusion, Hendricks eventually began to see more playing time and even a few starts. Although it’s too early in his career to predict his performance, it’s safe to say that he’s struggled this year.
He has made 23 appearances overall, six starts, and is averaging 5.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 0.6 assists per game. Though he hasn’t played much, his per-game metrics aren’t the worst thing. What is concerning, though, is that he isn’t making shots. shots that he is expected to take.
Given that he is shooting 44% from the field, slightly under 34% from three, and little under 82% from the free throw line, his shooting splits may appear to be good at first sight. However, his poor shot selection is something that his splits fail to reveal. Only approximately 18% of his shots are made from within three feet of the hoop, even though he is shooting 76% from that distance. He’s shooting about 60% of his shots from three-point range on average, which is just slightly less than Simone Fonteccho’s and Johnny Juzang’s season totals.
He needs to stop doing this because it’s alarming what he’s doing, and it may be either Will Hardy’s decision or his own in-game behavior. He needs to be more physically strong beneath for the Jazz, which makes sense for a power forward. especially considering how much more often he makes baskets from below than from three.
If the Jazz put him in the paint more frequently, he’ll score more points at the rate that he’s shooting. It is not helping him that he is having trouble making threes.
Of course, none of this has anything to do with his defensive issues, which are, in all fairness, less serious than George’s. The buzz around him has really faded since he’s had a difficult first season. Although no one will claim that this was the season they had anticipated for the Top 10 pick, it does not mean he is no longer a potential to consider for the following one.