Jazz F Taylor Hendricks Dishes His Biggest Jump During Rookie Season

The Utah Jazz rookie managed to take some strong steps in his development.

Apr 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy (left) talks to forward / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Last summer, we saw the Utah Jazz facilitate a few notable steps forward in their team's rebuild process by further adding some cornerstone pieces into the fold.

One of those components was ninth-overall draft pick Taylor Hendricks, who's just completed his first season in the league and secured a bit of a taste of what it's like being in the NBA. He finished the year averaging 7.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 40 games played, all while bringing impactful flashes on both sides of the floor.

In a year chock-full of growth, Hendricks was asked about the biggest leap he took during his transition from college to the pros in his end-of-season media availability, where he gave himself some credit for the improvement he presented on the defensive side of the ball.

"Defensively, for sure," Hendricks said. "Just guarding different types of players in college, and then moving on to guard the superstars of the league. So, it's been very different."

Hendricks was always viewed as a positive defensive prospect entering into the draft process this past summer, but this was in large part due to his long frame, ideal physical traits, and high projections for the future rather than the current, generally raw skillset he showcased during his one year at UCF.

Now, with a full NBA season under his belt, tracking substantial experience in both the G-League and the pros, all of the pieces are gradually coming together for the 2023 lottery pick to hone into a top-tier league defender.

When later touching on what part of the game he wants to work on moving forward, Hendricks described adding more strength to his body is a significant area of focus for him and the coaching staff this summer.

"Continuously get stronger," Hendricks said. "That's their main thing with me; working on my body. They've also expressed to me they want my footwork to get better, and that comes with shooting, defensively."

If able to lock into the weight room this summer in order to match up with the best athletes the league next season, we could be in to see a massive year two for Taylor in Salt Lake City.