Utah Jazz Officially Sign Hendricks, George, Sensabaugh
Jul 2, 2023, 3:43 PM | Updated: Jul 3, 2023, 4:37 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz announced that they’ve officially signed their three 2023 first round draft picks, Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, and Brice Sensabaugh.
Utah Jazz Sign 2023 Draft Class
The Jazz announced the signings on Sunday, June 2.
The three rookies were signed before the first day of the Salt Lake City Summer League. The Utah-based Summer League event will be held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City from July 3-6.
RELATED: How To Watch, Stream, Listen To 2023 Salt Lake City Summer League
The Jazz selected Hendricks (No. 9 overall), George (No. 16 overall), and Sensabaugh (No. 28 overall) during June’s NBA Draft.
it’s 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 official ✍️
read more: https://t.co/MIETJXwHdO#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/tSMSeYLEkp
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 2, 2023
About Taylor Hendricks
Before even watching Hendricks it’s easy to recognize that the Knights freshman has one of the most impressive statistical profiles in all of college basketball as a scorer, rebounder, and shooter.
Standings 6-foot-9 with a 210 lbs frame, Hendricks has the prototypical size for a modern big man and could potentially see time on the floor at all three frontcourt positions.
From day one in the NBA, Hendricks will be a floor spacer who punishes defenses that sag off of him in the corners, while finishing above the rim as a backdoor cutter and in transition.
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His smooth shooting stroke, mixed with his size will be a strong combo to keep him in the NBA well beyond his rookie contract.
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Though it wasn’t his primary role in college, Hendricks showed rare flashes as a face-up threat taking his man off the dribble and finishing at the rim. With further development and improved NBA spacing, he could become more of a shot-creator than he was in college.
While he averaged only 1.4 assists per game, Hendricks has a knack for making quick passes near the rim to teammates cutting to the basket. There’s a strong likelihood that the lack of talent around him at UCF hurt his assist numbers.
Defensively, Hendricks offers excellent length, especially near the rim where he showed strong instincts as a shot-blocker swatting 1.7 shots per game. The Florida native gets off the floor quickly to challenge shots at the rim and does so with excellent verticality.
Due to his length and athleticism, Hendricks projects as a potentially high-level switch defender on the perimeter, something every team in the NBA is looking for.
About Keyonte George
Despite being listed at 6-foot-4 and 185 lbs, George has one of the better frames among first-year guards projected to be selected in the lottery.
The Baylor freshman has a stocky, strong build that ought to be able to handle the rigors of the NBA game, even early in his career.
Though he’s not an elite athlete, George has excellent body control and navigates the court with the ball in his hands, getting to his spots where he excels as a scorer, averaging 15.3 points per game.
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The guard is an adept scorer with the ball in his hands showing strong handles and an ability to get to his spots on the floor and in rhythm. He has a chance to be one of the more prolific scorers from this draft as he matures, and his game already resembles that of some of the league’s best perimeter players.
While consistency remains an issue, George scored 20 or more in 12 of his 33 appearances at Baylor and knocked down multiple three-pointers in 66 percent of his games.
The freshman had more games (13) in which he hit three or more three-pointers than he did one or fewer (11).
George’s 4.2 rebounds are a strong number, and 79 percent free-throw shooting on 4.5 attempts per game.
Defensively, the freshman’s frame and strong balance made him a steady defender. As he ages, it wouldn’t be an enormous surprise if he became a very capable defender at the NBA level.
About Brice Sensabaugh
One of the best pure scorers in all of college basketball, Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes in scoring by a significant margin, despite coming off the bench in 12 of his 33 appearances.
Standing 6-foot-6 with a powerful 235 lbs frame, the freshman has a build that should withstand the rigors of the NBA game.
Sensabaugh knocked down two or more threes in 21 of 33 games in college, including 11 games with three or more, proving to be one of the deadlier shooters projected in the draft’s first round.
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The Ohio State product has a tight handle to get to his preferred spots on the floor where his timing and release allow him to get his shot off against any defender.
Sensabaugh is also a solid rebounder, grabbing 5.4 per game, and showing a nose for the ball as it comes off the rim.
Though his assist numbers were low, a lack of talent around him likely hurt his totals. Ohio State was better off allowing Sensabaugh to shoot the ball rather than winding up in the hands of one of his teammates.
