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<\/a><\/p>\nSALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – OCTOBER 25: Taylor Hendricks #0 of the Utah Jazz in action during the first half of a game against the Golden State Warriors at Delta Center on October 25, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n
Hendricks now has two years of professional experience on the hardwood, but in only 43 total games, it\u2019s difficult to project what to expect from the wing upon his return at the beginning of the season.<\/p>\n
In 40 games as a rookie, Hendricks\u2019 body had yet to catch up to his athleticism. A great motor and all the tangible elements of a stellar defender, this UCF product flashed glimpses of quality contribution in a highly sought-after role for modern NBA franchises. Someone who can guard the other teams\u2019 best wings and forwards while offering a pressure-release valve in the form of reliable outside shooting.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the idealized Taylor Hendricks. But that\u2019s not something we\u2019ve seen since his leg absolutely betrayed him on a wet spot in Dallas. A sickening list of dislocations and fractures. A scarring event to witness, and ever more scarring to suffer. Only three games into his sophomore season, Hendricks was resigned to recover from the sidelines. On the path to recovery, there are no guarantees one will meet their desired destination.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s in the in-between now.<\/p>\n
At what point do we know when he\u2019s \u201cfully recovered\u201d? When can you look at his impact and confidently nod that this is the unobstructed Taylor Hendricks? In a prime, refined state, what does reality have in store for Utah\u2019s perimeter ace (Ace Bailey notwithstanding)? Honesty hour: I have no Earthly idea.<\/p>\n
In a prime, refined state, what does reality have in store for Utah\u2019s perimeter ace? Honesty hour: I have no Earthly idea.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, he\u2019s still only 22 years old. Assuming the team handles his recovery properly (they have no reason to rush him back), his NBA career has still only begun. Crazy, I know. Supporting a tanking basketball team tends to abduct the user into some sort of paradoxical time-warp, slowing down the passage of the minute hand to a grotesque crawl. But yeah, we\u2019ve only seen three full seasons of Utah Jazz-flavored horror on the basketball court. It feels longer.<\/p>\n
At his young age, he has plenty of time to recover. It\u2019s good to know that Taylor himself seems in high spirits over his situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way this season went, I\u2019m going to keep that in mind,\u201d Hendricks explained in an interview with Slam Magazine<\/a>. \u201cAnytime it gets hard, just think about where you were a year ago. You weren\u2019t able to play, you weren\u2019t even able to walk. So I feel like things like that will definitely help me push through. Be grateful and have gratitude for where I am \u2014 or where I will be.\u201d<\/p>\n Where he will be. An admirable outlook, considering the situation. His injury has often been compared to that of Gordon Hayward, who suffered a comparable freak leg injury during his first game in a Celtics uniform.<\/p>\n Hayward suffered that injury at 27 years of age in 2017. That was supposed to be the prime of his career, but he would be riddled with aches and pains for the rest of his NBA experience, retiring at 33. He was never the same player we saw in Utah again, never averaged 20 points, and only played more than 52 games in a year once post-incident.<\/p>\n Those injuries were sporadic, unpredictable, and seemingly unrelated for the most part, and in no way am I planting a flag in the ground to announce that Hendricks will see a similar trajectory from this point. But the worry is there.<\/p>\n In a very small sample, Hendricks averaged five rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game last season. His scoring took a bit of a dip, but again, he never even finished his third game. I don\u2019t know how to fairly project Hendricks\u2019 trajectory upon his return because we haven\u2019t seen him play basketball in a very long time.<\/p>\n Who is Taylor Hendricks, the basketball player? Patience will deliver answers better than I could. But he\u2019ll have the support of his team and the entire Jazz community behind him.<\/p>\n Calvin Barrett<\/a> is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the Utah Jazz<\/a> and BYU<\/a> athletics since 2024.<\/p>\n