Jazz G Keyonte George Reacts to Taylor Hendricks’ Injury Recovery

It’s been a long road for Taylor Hendricks’ return from injury this season after suffering from an awful ankle injury just three games into this year, effectively ending his sophomore campaign for the Utah Jazz shorter than expected, putting him on the months-long road to recovery in order to get back to the floor.

The process is one that’s rough and taxing for any NBA player, especially in the case of Hendricks with less than 82 regular season games under his belt, and still trying to work his way into his mold of being a pro.

However, if you were to ask Hendricks himself, or any of his teammates, its clear the second-year forward is putting the work into returning to competition.

Fellow Jazz second-year player Keyonte George had some positive words to dish surrounding Hendricks’ recovery across this season, crediting his day-in and day-out work to get back to 100%.

"He's not playing, but he's on the bench, standing up, cheering, like, it's almost like he's playing," George said. "He's in here every day, lifting, getting better. It's just been special to see his progress."

Even without seeing Hendricks’ presence on the floor, getting him on the bench, or even involved in any capacity provides a clear boost in morale for his teammates. The second-year forward has been seen frequently alongside his guys on the bench, coming along on road trips, and now he’s ramping up his display at practice; all good signs for what’s to come.

Hendricks wasn’t able to showcase much this season before it was abruptly ended during game three of the year. However, when he’s been healthy, he’s proven to be an appealing two-way impact player in the frontcourt that has the chance to develop into a strong force on both sides of the floor. During his rookie season, he averaged 7.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and nearly a block and a steal a game on just over 20 minutes a night.

For a Jazz team desperately coveting strong defenders wherever they can find them, thanks to their league-worst defensive rating for the second-straight season, Hendricks’ return will be vital for their development when it comes to getting consistent stops on that side of the floor. The sooner he gets back into the mix, the better, and more polished this group will be.

It’ll be a bit more time until we see Hendricks officially back in the fold, as he’ll remain out for the final three games of the year and have a few more offseason months of recovery, but perhaps during Summer League approaching soon in July, it could provide the perfect chance for the 2023 lottery pick to get his feet wet on the floor once again, and jumpstart his road to a successful rebound of a year three.

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