Jazz Rookie Brice Sensabaugh Shines in Explosive G-League Debut

We’ve always known that Sensabaugh can score in an efficient manner. Last season, he boasted a player efficiency rating (PER) of 26.4, an extremely impressive number for anyone, let alone a freshman. 

This came while shooting 48% from the field and 40.5% from deep on high volume. Sensabaugh can put the ball in the hoop and showed us just that last night.

A major takeaway from the game was the way Sensabaugh passed the ball. After averaging just over one assist per game in college, Sensabaugh ripped off eight assists, a number of them being high-level dimes. 

Whether it was on-target lobs to the rim, one-handed skip passes off a drive, or just the right read off the dribble, Sensabaugh did an excellent job sharing the wealth. It’s very likely that this is a skill he's always had, and he just wasn’t asked to do it at Ohio State. It’s clear that he has a natural feel as a passer.

It wasn’t a perfect debut; Sensabaugh turned the ball over five times (a theme that Jazz fans know all too well), and had some lapses on the defensive end of the court. The turnovers are something that will likely be cleaned up as he gets more repetitions, creating with the ball in his hands. 

What it Means

Defensively, Sensabaugh is going to have to take strides in order to convince Will Hardy that he’s ready for big-league minutes. The plus is that at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, he has the frame to defend at the NBA level.

All in all, it was a successful showing for Sensabaugh. If he continues to play this well offensively, he’s going to make a case that he should be getting rotation minutes for a struggling Jazz team. 

Sensabaugh's ability to create off the dribble, knock down open shots, and find teammates is going to be a valuable skill set for the Jazz going forward. For now, we’ll keep tabs on how well the rookie continues to develop. Sensabaugh, Hendricks, and the rest of the Stars will be in action again on Monday night.