The Utah Jazz have been without Taylor Hendricks for some time now.
The Utah Jazz drafted Taylor Hendricks with its first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, taking him ninth overall. He’s seen by many as being a high-ceiling prospect, with the ability to stretch the court, shooting nearly 40% from three, while averaging 14 points and seven rebounds per game. He’s got tremendous upside.
That said, some do feel he was a reach, and he will need to prove his worth in Utah, especially with the arrival of John Collins. Collins is now seen as the team’s starting power forward, and until he leaves in free agency or is traded, Kelly Olynyk will likely be his primary backup. Meaning Hendricks isn’t likely to see a lot of time as long as the team is constructed the way it currently is.
Hendricks was someone that fans and pundits alike were hoping to see during the Summer League, but a hamstring strain kept him out. The injury may sound minor compared to others, but the injury will still require a few more weeks to get healed.
Speaking to Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Sports Illustrated), Hendricks reveals that he fully intends to be ready for camp, saying;
"I will say I feel pretty good right now. It’s just, you know, I don’t feel 100%, so we didn’t really want to push anything and force Summer League play, and then have to worry about me being out for training camp. But right now I feel good. And I’ll be ready for training camp."
Hendricks goes on to explain that he’s back to working out pretty regularly, but isn’t fully back on the court at the moment;
"Right now, I’m doing cardio on the treadmill and stuff, and doing some on-court workouts like shooting, ball-handling, and doing upper-body workouts and things like that…I kind of [wanted] to get out there and contribute, just be on the floor and try to get my feet wet a little. But it’s all for good measure in the future."
And keeping him off the court for right now is the right call. Hendricks is not a player the Jazz need right now, at least not in theory. There are plenty of able bodies ahead of him, some who are better than him at this moment in time.
It’s not like he plays a position of need like Keyonte George. George may find himself in the race to start for the Jazz due to the lack of certainty over the position. That’s not the case for power forward, so Hendricks will have all the time he needs to heal.