Jazz's most overlooked youngster might be their biggest X-Factor

There’s no doubt the Utah Jazz are one of the most interesting teams as we head into the offseason. 

They have an All-Star scorer in Lauri Markkanen, a former Defensive Player of the Year with Jaren Jackson Jr., a young breakout guard in Keyonte George, and Ace Bailey, one of the top rookies.

A free agency decision with Walker Kessler looms but all signs point to Utah retaining the big man, giving the Jazz a formidable starting five while also potentially having the opportunity to add a top draft pick to the fold.

On top of all of this, Utah may have found another gem in their midst: Brice Sensabaugh

Sensabaugh has consistently demonstrated the ability to be an effective shot creator, dating back to his freshman year at Ohio State. 

In his one-and-only season in Columbus, Sensabaugh showcased his scoring prowess, scoring 16.3 points a night while also shooting 40.5% from 3-point range.

The third-year pro has caught fire for the Jazz recently, averaging 24.2 points over his past 12 games and nearly 20 points since the turn of the calendar.

Sensabaugh has recorded two 40-point games in that stretch, pouring in 43 points off the bench against the Bulls in January and a 41-point game against the Timberwolves in March.

The scoring explosion from Sensabaugh is a testament to his growth as a player since coming to Utah as the 28th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Is he Utah’s bench scorer of the future?

Yahoo Sports! Kevin O'Connor recently raved about Sensabaugh’s game on his podcast and believes that his recent stretch of play is a result of his development in the NBA.

“It’s not like this is just a hot end of season stretch, to me, this is Brice Sensabaugh, the guy that you expected to stay multiple years at Ohio State in college developing over time but it happened in the NBA,” O’Connor said.

Sensabaugh has shown plenty of growth this season and has so every year since entering the league. Each season, Sensabaugh has raised his PPG by at least three points and has been efficient while doing so.

Could Sensabaugh be an overlooked piece on this Jazz roster? O’Connor thinks so.

“If I’m a Jazz fan, I’m excited about Ace Bailey. I can’t wait to get Jaren Jackson Jr. back next year. I’m stoked about Keyonte George, but I’m also looking at Brice Sensabaugh,” O’Connor said. “It’s like ‘Wait a minute, do we secretly have a 20-25 point  per game guy on our roster starting next year?’”

Now it might be easy to say that O’Connor might be a bit too in love with Sensabaugh’s game. When Utah is fully healthy next season and potentially adds another top draft prospect, there doesn’t seem to be a spot in the starting lineup for Sensabaugh.

But that might be good for the Jazz. Having Sensabaugh come off the bench in a Jordan Clarkson-type role to be that go-to scorer off the bench can be beneficial for Utah.

“Those are the thoughts that’d be going on through my mind if I were a Utah Jazz fan watching this guy score tough buckets against great defenders night in, night out,” O’Connor said.

Sensabaugh isn’t a great defender and the most willing playmaker, but his shot creation and ability to get to his spots on the court to score buckets could play a huge role as the Jazz hope to take a leap next season.