Taylor Hendrick’s breakthrough confirms Jazz’s controversial decision

Before last night, the Utah Jazz hadn’t gotten much out of Taylor Hendricks. That’s not at all the most surprising development after what he’s been through, but what was disappointing is that Hendricks didn’t get much on the line. The former No. 9 pick broke out last night in their loss to the Grizzlies, proving the Jazz made the right move in resting their veterans.

For context, Utah took on Memphis without Lauri Markkanen and Jusuf Nurkic, severely depleting their frontcourt and confirming their plans to go all-in on a high lottery pick. This also allowed Hendricks to shine off the bench, and he did not disappoint!

Hendricks’ talent has always been there, and really it’s all a matter of whether he can put it together to become the player the Jazz want him to be. He can’t get those opportunities when Utah has Markkanen and Nurkic both playing, so with both of them out, the kid gloves come off and Hendricks gets a chance to showcase himself while learning from his mistakes that will surely be there.

Better yet, the Jazz lost in the process. If that’s not enough, they lost in a competitive game that checked off two things: develop Hendricks naturally while increasing their chances of getting a high lottery pick (and keeping it away from Oklahoma City).

In short, even if the Jazz lose, everyone wins!

Expect Hendricks to get more opportunities from here

Since the whispers of the Jazz embracing the tank have only gotten louder and louder in recent weeks, that should mean Hendricks gets more opportunities to prove himself with more minutes. As talented as he is, Hendricks remains largely unproven. As he is also coming off a traumatic injury, he will also have the opportunity to progress psychologically with more playing time.

You could say the Jazz have nothing to lose, but the opposite is true. They actually did that a lot of lose if they don’t get another talented talent out of a bad season. Hendricks hasn’t shown himself to be a game-changer (yet), and Utah wants to see results from him, so if the team loses while also seeing improvement from him, that’s probably the best-case scenario.

The Jazz are expected to put their veterans on the trade market this offseason as they don’t want to risk improving their position and jeopardizing their chances of landing in the Thunder’s bracket. That’s why Hendricks will get more minutes if and when they sell those vets.

Don’t expect Hendricks to dazzle like he did last night. But as long as he occasionally shows up as the player the Jazz think he can become, and as long as it doesn’t hinder the tank, everything should go perfectly.