One Stat Proves Brice Sensabaugh Deserves More Playing Time for Jazz

The Utah Jazz saw their budding offensive-minded wing, Brice Sensabaugh, put together a career campaign throughout his most recent 2025-26 season.

In a year where Sensabaugh saw some of the most minutes of his young career because of the injuries that took place up and down the rotation, he took advantage of those expanded opportunities in a big way.

Sensabaugh finished the year averaging 14.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists, while also shooting 46.0% from the field and 36.7% from three in a little over 23 minutes a game.

Based on raw numbers alone, Sensabaugh's last season was encouraging to keep him in the mix as a key part of the rotation heading into his fourth-year pro–– which is even more important for him individually due to the implications of his expiring contract.

But when looking deeper into Sensabaugh's numbers from the 2025-26 season, there's one aspect he excelled in notably that might warrant him to keep him as a key fixture of the rotation, even when everyone is fully healthy: and that's his clutch scoring.

Brice Sensabaugh's Strong Numbers in the Clutch

Sensabaugh's clutch scoring, within the 16 games he saw opportunities in those moments this past season, was a major highlight from his overall career year, which comes because of how efficient he was when he got shots drawn up his way.

Sensabaugh averaged only 1.8 points per game in the clutch. Yet he did shoot a rather impressive clip of 69.2% from the field and 71.4% from three-point range in those shot attempts (9/13 from the field).

Feb 28, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh (28) looks to pass the ball during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While a limited sample size, and nothing close to the same volume that Keyonte George saw in the clutch for his 56 attempts from the field, Sensabaugh made the most of those looks––especially from deep.

As a result, it feels like he could be deserving of even more opportunities in those late-game moments, especially as someone who can be a big-time shot-maker when Utah needs it.

What Could Prevent Sensabaugh From Seeing Similar Minutes

There's two hurdles that Sensabaugh will have to overcome in order to see that aspired jump in playing time.

One of those is the fact that the Jazz have a lot of scoring threats around their roster, and a lot of newly-acquired wings that will be battling Sensabaugh for those coveted minutes.

Ace Bailey and Darryn Peterson are two future fixtures of Utah’s roster as scoring threats on the wing, and the Jazz also brought in guys like Josh Okogie and Josh Green this summer to improve their perimeter defense.

That also bleeds into the second hurdle that Sensabaugh will have to surpass to continue getting playing time his way: he has to develop as a net-positive, or even a net-neutral defender when he's on the floor.

Knowing the Jazz have multiple reliable scoring threats around the roster, forming Sensabaugh into a more consistent three-and-D threat will only help him to stay on the floor and get the nod over guys like Okogie and Green off the bench.

Bottom Line

If Sensabaugh can continue to set himself apart as an outside shooter, can form himself into a reliable defender, and a clutch shooter, it'll be tough for Will Hardy to keep him out of the rotation throughout the course of next season.

And if that's the case for Sensabaugh's upcoming season, that year-four jump could be exactly what he needs to net a payday on his second contract to remain in Utah, which will likely hit negotiations in the summer of 2027.

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