Grading Jazz Drafting Brice Sensabaugh No. 28 Overall
Danny Ainge, take a bow. With the 28th pick in the 2023 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz selected Ohio State wing Brice Sensabaugh. Truly one of the best scorers in the class (have you heard that before?), the Jazz got tremendous value late in the first round.
Let’s examine Sensabaugh's statistical production, his offensive and defensive skill set, and grade Utah's selection.
Stats: 16.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 48% FG, 40.5% 3P, 83% FT.
Measurables: 6-foot-6, 235 pounds (unofficial measurements).
Offensive Skill Set
Sensabaugh is one of the most prolific shotmakers in the class. He uses his thick frame to create space and his soft touch to knock down shots from all three evels.
Sensabaugh is an incredibly efficient scorer and one of the best three-point shooters in the class. He lacks some quickness in terms of beating his defender off of the dribble, but that doesn’t stop him from getting to his spots.
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Defensive Skill Set
This is where I’m skeptical of the pick. Sensabaugh lacks the foot speed to stay in front of players and hasn’t shown a whole lot of engagement on this end of the court.
On the positive side, he has an NBA-ready body that won’t get pushed around. If Sensabaugh can get healthy and work on his defensive fundamentals, he should, at the very least, be net-neutral on defense.
Bottom Line
Selecting Sensabaugh was a great pick to cap off a really nice Jazz draft haul. Getting possibly the best shooter in the draft at No. 28 is an incredible value.
Throw in the ability Sensabaugh's ability to create and score at an efficient clip, and we have the makings of a draft night steal. Welcome to Utah!
Grade: A-
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