As preseason started for the Utah Jazz, early questions arose surrounding HC Will Hardy’s usage of his newly drafted rookies, or lack thereof. While 16th-overall pick G Keyonte George was getting his fair share of opportunity, F Taylor Hendricks and F Brice Sensabaugh were found on the short end of the stick.
Hendricks started his first three games stuck with slim minutes within the second half, while Sensabaugh was pinned with three straight DNPs. While yes, it’s extremely early in the year, the general expectation would be to get young, high-value players experienced and involved, especially in the preseason.
However, those worries were put to rest during Monday’s 114-94 win against the New Zealand Breakers, as all three first-round picks got over 15 minutes on the floor, meaning we finally got our first look at Sensabaugh.
In Brice’s first game, he posted six points, one rebound, and one assist on 3/8 shooting. While these numbers don’t jump off the page, the more important aspect is that Coach Hardy finally gave him the chance to get in the game.
A 19-year-old rookie is bound to find some initial struggles and slumps. With Sensabaugh’s role as a go-to volume scorer in college, it will likely take some growing and adjustment to become a fixture in an NBA offense. Therefore, Hardy allowing him the freedom to put up a team-high eight shot attempts in a preseason match against a non-NBA team is a perfect situation to learn from and further enhance his game.
This same thought process could be applied to a potential G-League assignment for Sensabaugh later in the regular season. If this Jazz roster is prepared to compete and win games this year, it could lead to a high-potential player like Brice getting stuck at the end of the bench without an opportunity to play and develop. In the G-League, those desired minutes, shot attempts, and ability to grow are all available.
The looming final preseason game vs. the Sacramento Kings will be a telling sign for how the Jazz coaching staff approaches the beginning of the 2023-24 year with their rookies. With Utah’s opener against Sacramento on October 25th, this Thursday may act as a prelude for what to expect as we kick off this exciting 50th season in franchise history.
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