NBA – The 9th pick from the last Draft plays little in preseason. Will Hardy does not intend to offer him minutes, he will have to earn them.
With its season reaching 37 victories, despite a reconstruction to be ensured after the Donovan Mitchell – Rudy Gobert years, the Jazz have gained in ambition. Rookie management Taylor Hendricks in preseason proves it very well.
The 9th choice of the 2023 Draft only plays very little: eleven minutes per match. No first-round rookie this preseason has this little time to express himself. While he has an interesting profile, with his outside shooting and his defense, why is Will Hardy so reluctant to start him?
“We try to win. We are not a laboratory”, he recalled last season, for the Salt Lake Tribune. “I want to create an environment where players work and nothing is given. It’s not because we are a high pick in the Draft that we are going to have the ball all the time, that we are going to shoot 18 times per game and that no one is going to say anything. There are times when you have to take a step back, be on the bench, play less and not be on the pitch at the end of the game. »
The Jazz coach is also looking for how to best use the former Central Florida star player.
“I have to find his role in the team, that is to say what will allow him to have playing time in the rotation. He must understand, as a complementary player, our spacing in attack and defend well,” announces the coach. “There are things Taylor can’t control in a possession, so he has to realize what he can control and focus on that. »
“I think a little too much because I want to do well”
Taylor Hendricks, too, is looking for himself and that’s normal for a rookie. In particular, he forced too much or not enough during his first two preseason matches. Nevertheless, “he doesn’t complain, doesn’t ask for anything”, notes Will Hardy. How does the player experience his situation?
“Sometimes I think a little too much because I want to do well. At the moment, if I’m quiet, it’s because I’m absorbing everything, trying to learn from others and trying to get to know the personality of the team. But once I’m more comfortable, I’ll speak a little more frankly, that’s for sure. »
So be patient. While waiting for his chance in the long term, John Collins advises him to be confident.
“He has a lot of potential,” explains the former Hawks. “He is a modern winger, built for the future of this sport: he is versatile, can defend in several positions, spread the play. He is athletic too. I expect a lot from him and I try to support him and help him realize his potential. »
2023-10-17 07:30:27
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