Red flags during the pre-draft process always have to be taken seriously. Whether a player is red-flagged for medical reasons, or due to off-the-court issues, NBA teams are not messing around.
They're investing millions into a player, and no one wants a situation on their hands where the player drafted is unavailable, for whatever reason.
When Brice Sensabaugh went down with a knee injury back in March, he was immediately flagged as a player who NBA teams would need to take a closer look on, before potentially selecting him. It's standard procedure.
Unfortunately for Sensabaugh, this wasn't his first go-around with knee troubles, having torn his meniscus in 2020, missing all of his junior season in high school.
As such, due to the sensitive nature of knee injuries, it's fair to say we know why he was available at 28th, when the Utah Jazz finally selected him.
Because rest assured, it wasn't due to a lack in game.
Sensabaugh remains one of the most intriguing players on my list of rookies to track this season. Not only does a healthy version of him project to be a high-caliber scorer, but a versatile one at that.
Sensabaugh has a defined post-game, aided by impressive footwork, and a keen understanding of shot angles. He's also more than capable of facing up, and putting the ball on the deck against sizeable defenders. And finally, he canned 40.5% of his long-range shots which made him one of the most difficult players to guard in college basketball.
More so than his offensive skill set, Sensabaugh has the guts to keep playing an aggressive brand of basketball, regardless of how many minutes he's logging. During his lone season at Ohio State, the 6-foot-6, 235-pounder played just over 24 minutes per game, but that didn't stop him from putting up over 16 points and 5.4 rebounds on opposing defenses.
Sensabaugh was about as relentless as you can imagine, further impressive for a freshman who also had to get used to the increased competition level, as well as the college life. In 809 total minutes, the 19-year-old gathered 537 points and 177 rebounds, an absolute ton of production on a per-minute basis.
If the rookie proves to the world that his knee is stable, and he can remove the scent of red flags from his reputation, the Utah Jazz stands a good chance at having made one of the strongest draft day steals in a long time.
Sensabaugh's game should translate. He uses a mixture of touch, footwork, and raw physical power to get to the basket, and create himself looks. His upper body strength, and overall frame, will have a significant portion of NBA defenders bounce right off of him. And of course, we know that players with shooting capabilities can always impact a game.
That isn't to say we should expect him to hit the ground running. Knee troubles are no joke, and if the Jazz determine the best course of action for Sensabaugh - to enjoy a prolonged career - is to play limited minutes, then so be it.
It is noteworthy, however, that the Jazz decided to grab him in the first round in a deep draft. That means there's a financial commitment of at least two years, which indicates a belief from the organization that Sensabaugh could end up playing a large role for them down the line.
Whatever happens, and regardless of what type of role Sensabaugh is looking at, one thing should be clear as day: Whenever called, the rookie will make the most of it.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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