The Utah Jazz made some noise in the 2023 NBA draft with three first-round selections. Although rookie Keyonte George has grabbed most of the attention with his stellar performance in summer league, let’s not forget the No. 28 overall pick, Brice Sensabaugh.
Most mock drafts had Sensabaugh being selected in the mid-first round, but he almost slipped into the second round due to concerns regarding a knee injury he suffered during the Big Ten Tournament. Despite the injury concern, selecting Sensabaugh in the late first round was a no-brainer, considering where Jazz GM Justin Zanik had Sensabaugh ranked on Utah’s big board.
"At [pick No.] 28, we got a player that we had in our top 18," Zanik said. "That was really good. He fell to us, and so [we're] excited to have a guy that ... makes and takes NBA pro shots."
Although Sensabaugh was picked later than expected, he was relieved that the draft was now in the rearview mirror. The first-rounder shared his thoughts on the process in an interview on the Utah Jazz YouTube channel.
“Everything just moved super fast, and it was a blur, you know, the next morning it was a lot of relief,” Sensabaugh said. “Just knowing where you’re going to be at — knowing the system and you know you can start to connect with people and see how people are and start building relationships.”
Sensabaugh will have an uphill battle in cementing himself in the rotation to start the season, but as the year moves along, Jazz fans can anticipate some playing time for the rookie at some point.
Regarded as one of the best perimeter shooters in the 2023 draft class, Sensabaugh averaged 16.3 ppg while only playing 24.5 minutes per contest. That shakes out to 26.6 points per 40 minutes, which led all freshmen in 2023.
Sensabaugh is armed already with an NBA-ready three-point shot and mid-range game, with the ability to get to his spots with a quick first step. Just like most rookies, his kryptonite will be on the defensive side of the ball, keeping up with players with more athleticism.
Playing time to start the season will be difficult, but at some point, there should be a path to getting minutes. Similar to Ochai Agbaji last season, there may be some live reps in the G-league before he finds his way into Utah’s rotation.
Whether he starts in the G-league or on the opening night roster, Sensabaugh has his sights set on Utah making the playoffs in 2023-24. Sensabaugh was asked what he's most excited about heading into his first year.
“A playoff game at home in front of the Jazz fans,” Sensabaugh said. “Because even like the summer league game where we started coming back the first game — it was loud. So like in the playoffs, I can’t even imagine, just like the energy and the environment. I want to get to the playoffs for sure.”
Jazz fans should be able to get their first glimpse of what Sensabaugh can do on the court, with preseason basketball only two months away.
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