Jazz HC Will Hardy Sounds Off on Struggling Rookies

The growing pains continue for the Utah Jazz.

The Utah Jazz continued their growing pains on Friday night in a 131-102 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Most notably, Utah’s 2023 first-round draft picks were benched at the 6:25-minute mark of the first quarter. 

Rookies Keyonte George, Bryce Sensabaugh, and Keyonte George finished the contest playing 19, 13, and 12 minutes, respectively. Jazz head coach Will Hardy spoke on the matter after the defeat.

“There’s going to be questions about certain players’ minutes, but right now, we’re trying to build habits,” Hardy said. “We’re trying to form a concept on both ends of the floor that we think will help our program and these players individually.”

It wasn’t long ago that George was considered a top-five rookie in the league, but with his recent regression, it’s still up in the air whether the No. 16 overall pick has what it takes to be Utah’s point guard of the future. 

In the month of March, George shot a dismal 38.9% from the field and only 28.9% from long distance. However, the statistic that may be most concerning is his defensive rating.

Among Jazz players who have played at least 25 games, George has the second-worst defensive rating (123.9) on a team that ranks last in the league. That’s not going to cut it moving forward, and despite showing flashes on offense throughout the season, he will need to figure out how to make a difference on the other end of the court. 

Not surprisingly, the Jazz have been better defensively when Taylor Hendricks is on the court. The No. 9 overall pick of the 2023 draft has frequently been asked to guard the opponent's best offensive player and has held up. With a 7-foot wing span and the foot speed to guard in space, he has the tangibles to make life difficult for an opponent.

Brice Sensabaugh has been adequate on the offensive end in his rookie campaign, but like George, he hasn’t been a stellar defender. The Jazz have been a dismal defensive team post-trade deadline, and Sensabaugh has certainly contributed to the problem.

Hendricks has the best shot of being a long-term difference-maker among the three rookies. The bugs in his offensive game can be worked out, and because defense travels, the young rookie should be able to make a more consistent contribution moving forward.

As for George, next season could be his tryout to show the Jazz front office that he has what it takes to be the starting point guard of the future. He’s only 20 years old, and making that decision at this stage in his career would be premature. Remember, former Jazz point guard Deron Williams didn’t reach All-Star status until year five of his career.

The three first-year players will have another opportunity to redeem themselves on Sunday when they face the Golden State Warriors on the road. The tip-off for that contest is at 6:30 MST.

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