Jazz’s Taylor Hendricks Dishes on Experience Guarding Victor Wembanyama
The Utah Jazz were able to take care of business on Sunday night as they took down the San Antonio Spurs 128-109. It effectively ended their five-game skid and finally marked their first W in the books since they surpassed the trade deadline.
One of the biggest stories of the night came down to the defensive assignment rookie Taylor Hendricks was matched up with, another rookie and current Rookie of the Year favorite, Victor Wembanyama. It's no easy task to contain him for any defender in the NBA, let alone a first-year player in his second-ever career start.
However, even with the challenge at hand, Hendricks didn't back down. The rookie spoke at the podium after the Jazz's win to discuss his mindset taking on the young French phenom.
"I'm trying to do anything to help the team win," Taylor said. "Pretty much what I was trying to do was keep him away from the rim. When he gets in the paint, he's 7'5, so it's a little easier. So, just trying to push all of his catches out and force him into jumpers."
In the end, Wembanyama was defended pretty well by Hendricks. He finished with 22 points, ten rebounds, and two assists on 52.9/33.3/75.0 splits in just under 27 minutes.
While Hendricks ultimately fouled out of the contest in 25 minutes after a few consecutive calls in a row in the fourth quarter, he put forth a respectable performance. As for Taylor's counting stats, he contributed six points, three rebounds, and a block on 50.0/20.0 splits.
The first-year forward was later asked if he felt more comfortable than he did in his second NBA start on Thursday in Utah's loss vs. the Charlotte Hornets, where he gave a very assured yes.
"For sure," Taylor said. "Just playing with the guys more, you know, the more you play with a group of guys, the more chemistry you build, more practices. That's just what comes with it."
As Hendricks continues to get adjusted and find his role within the league, expect to see a more polished and refined version of him come along with it. After just two starts, we're already seeing the beginning stages of an impactful player on both ends of the floor for years to come.
The Jazz will look to kick off their three-game road trip on Tuesday as they travel to take on the Atlanta Hawks without All-Star guard Trae Young.
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