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HomeNews UpdateTaylor Hendricks recovers against Raptors

Taylor Hendricks recovers against Raptors

July 18, 2024
Taylor Hendricks recovers against Raptors

SALT LAKE CITY – If you felt a sudden gust of wind over the Salt Lake Valley on Wednesday afternoon, it was the collective sigh of Utah Jazz fans watching Taylor Hendricks.

The No. 9 overall pick last year put on perhaps the best performance of his basketball career against the Toronto Raptors, scoring 23 points and grabbing nine rebounds on a near-perfect 9-of-10 shooting percentage.

Related: Are the Jazz good at developing young players?

This came on the heels of arguably Hendricks’ worst performance on Monday, when he managed just three points on 0-6 shooting in a crushing loss to the Sacramento Kings.

The Jazz got off to a slow start against the Raptors, falling behind 7-0, but Hendricks’ shooting and aggressive drives to the basket slowed Toronto’s momentum and the result was an 86-76 victory.

Taylor Hendricks and Kyle Filipowski impress against Raptors

It wasn’t just Taylor Hendricks’ three-pointers that were falling, as the second-year forward landed a number of difficult shots on the basket in the huddle, showing his improved sense at the basket.

Hendricks’ bounce-back from Monday’s poor performance was a promising sign of his development. He overcame a poor performance from earlier in the week and responded with his best game as a professional.

While Hendricks was the Jazz’s best player against Toronto, rookie Kyle Filipowski was in no way inferior to him.

The Duke University product scored 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 2-of-3 three-pointers, and added seven rebounds and two assists.

Filipowski demonstrated his complete offensive game by initiating the Jazz’s offense, spreading the field, attacking bigger players in the post and scoring in transition.

After a series of tough games in Salt Lake City, Filipowski felt very comfortable at the center position in Vegas.

The 20-year-old still tries too much at times, making difficult fade-away jump shots and spinning in the box, but if he simplifies his game, he should be a valuable offensive player in today’s NBA.

Cody Williams finishing touches

Cody Williams, the Jazz’s 10th pick in last month’s draft, once again put up a solid performance, scoring 15 points, two rebounds and an assist while making 4-of-7 shots from the field and 6-of-7 free throws.

The winger has shown a real talent for getting to the basket in his own half and finishing with outstanding touch at the basket.

Williams still needs to gain a significant amount of weight before he can handle the rigors of a full season, but his ability to complete contested layups close to the basket is already an above-average NBA skill.

The 19-year-old shot an incredible 55 percent of his shots in his first season in Colorado, a number he’s unlikely to reach in the pros. But if he continues to finish at the basket with such ease, he should be a highly efficient scorer for the Jazz, even as he gets more and more playing time.

Darius Bazley continues strong Summer League

Jazz fans can count Darius Bazley as one of the bigger surprises of this year’s Summer League.

The forward, who signed with the Jazz towards the end of the 2023-24 season, does not have a guaranteed contract for next season, but it is likely that he will make the opening night roster.

Bazley scored nine points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots in 21 minutes.

The five-year veteran has stood out for his consistent effort and recognition of his role in building the team, which should translate easily into the regular season.

While Bazley has found his rhythm in the summer league, third-year forward Kenneth Lofton Jr. has struggled with the Jazz.

Lofton Jr. had the team’s highest plus-minus record against Toronto at +16, but scored just four points on 1 of 8 shooting, caused five turnovers and generally slowed the team’s offensive movement when he was on the court.

Like Bazley, Lofton Jr. has a non-guaranteed contract and will likely spend training camp with the Jazz, but he will need to play significantly better than he did this summer to make the opening night roster.

Raptors Former Utahns

The Raptors Summer League squad includes two familiar faces: former Jazzman Ochai Agbaji and former University of Utah big man Branden Carlson.

Carlson was a bright spot after signing a two-way contract with the Raptors, sinking threes and blocking shots on defense.

The Ute alumnus scored seven points, grabbed five rebounds, blocked two shots and sank 1-3 three-point shots in 17 minutes against the Jazz.

Agbaji had a quiet start to the summer league, averaging 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 43 percent from the field and 25 percent from the three-point line.

Against his former team, Agbaji scored nine points on 4 of 9 shooting and picked up four rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Remaining schedule of the Jazz Vegas Summer League

Thu: July 18 vs. Los Angeles Clippers 8:00 MDT NBATV

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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz Insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10am-12pm with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.

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