SALT LAKE CITY — In every sport and with every team, nothing brings dreams of hope and success more than draft night. For the Utah Jazz, the 2023 NBA Draft could be the jumping point to a regular return to the playoffs.
With three selections in the first round of Thursday's draft, the Jazz were well-positioned to add new players to a team that surprised many last season, or trade the picks away to add other pieces to the locker room.
FIRST PICK - 9th OVERALL
The first of Utah's first three picks was the 9th overall and the Jazz chose forward Taylor Hendricks from the University of Central Florida. At 6-foot 9-inches with a 7-foot wingspan, Hendricks played in 34 games in his one season with the Knights, averaging 15.1 points and 7 rebounds per game.
Zach Harper with The Athletic said this about the 19-year-old Hendricks:
"I think he can develop into being a more dynamic wing with great size, but even if he’s just more of a forward in terms of what he can defend, his potential is fantastic. He doesn’t have much right now for creating for himself, but he can really shoot the ball."
Jonathan Givoney with ESPN described what Hendricks brings to the NBA:
"[Hendricks" has been easily one of the most productive (and consistent) freshmen in college basketball, giving him a clear case for lottery consideration as an explosive, energetic, 6-9 multipositional defender who is shooting 42% from 3.
Unlike some surprise under-the-radar underclassmen, Hendricks' productivity only increased as the season moved on, even against better competition that he mostly excelled against."
SECOND PICK - 16th OVERALL
The Jazz went to their backcourt with the team's second selection of the round, taking Baylor shooting guard Keyonte George.
In 33 games last season for the Bears, George averaged 15.3 points per game, and added 2.8 assists.
Givoney had this analysis for George:
"George made some progress defensively this season and even had some moments against the Bluejays by stepping in for a charge and forcing opponents into tough pull-ups. But his inability to navigate screens, propensity for flying on every fake and lapses off the ball made it tough for George as he failed to get stops for Baylor in an up-tempo game featuring impressive shot-making from Creighton's guards.
George's scoring instincts and ability to hit pull-up jumpers and make pocket passes out of pick and roll give him a high floor as a strongly built 6-4 combo guard. He didn't do enough late in the season to solidify himself in mid-lottery conversations but still has an obvious niche he can fill as a bucket-getter with upside to grow into."
THIRD SELECTION - 28th OVERALL
With their final of three first round picks, the Jazz selected small forward Brice Sensabaugh from Ohio State.
In 33 games with the Buckeyes, Sensabaugh put up 16.3 points per game and pulled down 5.4 rebounds per game.
This is what Givoney had to say about Sensabaugh:
"The biggest questions revolve around his defense, where he's stuck between positions as a 6-6 power forward with average length, a husky frame and inconsistent intensity and awareness that causes him to be frequently targeted and scored on by opponents."
