Utah Jazz Mailbag: Do Juzang, Sensabaugh Have Futures In Utah?
Nov 26, 2024, 11:28 AM
Brice Sensabaugh #28 of the Utah Jazz (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Welcome to the Utah Jazz mailbag where this week we look at the future for both Johnny Juzang and Brice Sensabaugh.
Each week we will send out a prompt on X asking for the questions you have about the Jazz.
Then, we’ll respond to as many as we can in that week’s mailbag.
Jazz Mailbag: Brighter Future, Johnny Juzang, Or Brice Sensabaugh?
Right now do you see Juzang or Brice as a more likely part of the future of this team?
— Utah Jazz Optimist (@thegreatbambis) November 25, 2024
Question: Do you see Johnny Juzang or Brice Sensabaugh as a more likely part of this team’s future?
Answer: This is a timely question with both Juzang and Sensabuagh coming off their best performances of the season.
In the Jazz’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs last Thursday, Sensabaugh scored a season-high 18 points on 7-13 shooting, while adding six rebounds in 22 minutes.
After the game, this is what Jazz coach Will Hardy said about the second-year guard.
“He has maintained really good energy with our team. He has not complained. He’s not had a woe-is-me mentality. He’s just come to work every day, and he’s taken some hard coaching.”
Related: Jordan Clarkson Donates Thanksgiving Dinners To Utah Families
On Saturday, Sensabaugh did not see the floor against the New York Knicks, while Juzang had his most impactful outing of the season scoring 12 points on 4-8 shooting while singlehandedly keeping the Jazz’s second-unit afloat.
here to inform you that Johnny is, in fact, heating up from three 😏 pic.twitter.com/e5RHqdr3QM
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 23, 2024
Here’s what Hardy had to say about Juzang after Sunday’s win.
“He has changed his style of play from how he played in college, and that is really, really difficult to do […] instead of sort of saying, ‘No, this is who I am, and trying to stay on the same track, you recognize what you need to do to stay in the league and make a name for himself and to earn a full-time contract. And he did that.'”
Without putting words in Hardy’s mouth, I interpreted the coach’s praise for Juzang as a message to all of the Jazz’s young players, including Sensabaugh.
It’s great you made the NBA. It’s great that you’re naturally talented, but there is a right way to play if you want to see the floor consistently, and Juzang has earned that opportunity.
If you watched Juzang in college, you saw a physically gifted player who used his superior size and athleticism to dribble into the midrange where he was able to shoot over smaller opponents.
In the NBA, he’s completely reworked his offensive game.
This season with the Jazz, 21 of Juzang’s 23 made field goals have been assisted.
Of those, 81 percent of his field goals have come after taking one or fewer dribbles.
Essentially, he’s a pure shooter, and he’s not defaulting to his college playing style of over-dribbling.
Sensabaugh had a similar scoring profile at Ohio State, often tasked with bringing the ball up the floor, creating his own offense, and shooting over physically inferior defenders.
Unlike Juzang, he’s held onto some of those college trends.
Whereas 91 percent of Juzang’s makes are assisted, only 13 of Sensabaugh’s 22 field goals (59 percent) have come off assists.
Furthermore, only 64 percent of Sensabaugh’s makes have come off one dribble or fewer, while 36 percent have come after the guard has dribbled between 2-7+ times.
What does that mean?
When Juzang catches the ball, he’s quick to shoot it.
When Sensabaugh catches it, he’s more prone to dribble.
Utah Jazz rookie Brice Sensabaugh has been cooking 👨🍳
Big, physical, skilled wing with a mature bag that can score at three levels. The Jazz knocked the 2023 Draft out of the park pic.twitter.com/KFeBZaeMCf
— NBA Draft Dude 🤙 (@CoreyTulaba) April 4, 2024
With Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and Isaiah Collier all capable of creating off the dribble, I suspect the Jazz don’t need Sensabaugh to put the ball on the floor as often as he does.
Both he and the offense would benefit from quicker decisions either as a shooter or passer, with less dependence on dribbling the ball.
But, here’s the good news.
Sensabaugh is knocking down an impressive 41 percent of his threes this season while attempting 2.9 per game.
Related: Brice Sensabaugh Explodes Against Spurs
Paired with his 40 percent success rate at Ohio State, there’s reason to believe that he’s a high-level three-point shooter, and that is a highly sought-after skill in today’s NBA.
So while the 20-year-old guard may still default too often to dribbling, that’s a relatively easy fix, especially when he’s showing signs that he might be a high-level shooter.
Sensabaugh will need more reps to round out his game, and he may need to go back to the G League to get the necessary playing time, but as Juzang has proven, that’s a good place to cure your ills.
As of today, Juzang appears to be the more reliable NBA player, but I wouldn’t sell my Sensabaugh stock.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
