The Utah Jazz absolutely KILLED the draft this year. In my personal opinion either the Jazz or the Rockets were the biggest winners of the draft, but since I am a Jazz fan I gotta go with my guys. Taylor Hendricks at 9? BOOM! Keyonte George at 16? BOOM BOOM! Brice Sensabaugh at 28? BOOM...BOOM...BOOM! That's three lottery level guys in one draft. Let's break it down...
Taylor Hendricks - Jack of All Trades
As the draft got closer and closer, Taylor Hendricks slowly became my favorite prospect. He wasn't my first choice going into the draft, as I wanted the Jazz to get a top guard, but as far as prospects overall are concerned he was my favorite. This was a guy who many (me included) had in their top six picks, and who probably shouldn't have slid to nine. There just isn't anything this guy is bad at. He is incredibly versatile, and will fit into the rotation on day one. He's a great shooter for a power forward, and an overall very good scorer. He's a tough defender, and a player who goes all out on every possession. His playmaking could use some work, but he has shown solid basketball IQ, so that will come down the road. I would love to see him start from day one, and if the Jazz are willing to slide Markannen down to the three spot Hendricks should fit into the starting lineup easily.
pc: Jerome Miron/USA Today Sports
Keyonte George - Scoring Phenom
The Jazz had to walk away from this draft with a top guard prospect and George is that guy. One of the top prospects coming out of high school, he didn't have the freshman season many were expecting. He did show flashes of his advanced scoring abilities throughout the season, which was enough to land him in the lottery on a ton of draft boards. Many were worried if he would be in shape coming into the draft, and he surprised those doubters when he was in the best shape of his life during pre-draft workouts. He was drafted to be a lead scoring guard, but he has a chance to sharpen his other skills throughout the upcoming season. His playmaking and defense could use a lot of work, but he will get a ton of touches he can use to work on those things. Utah is hoping they are able to raise his floor as high as possible with the right development program around him. Trust me, they're not worried about his ceiling.
pc: Michael Ciaglo/USA Today Sports
Brice Sensabaugh - Three Level Pure Scorer
Sensabaugh was one of the best scorers in the country this past season. This trait alone shot him up draft boards, and it wasn't rare to see his name in the lottery on many boards. He may be a top three all-around scorer in this draft and his value at 28 is unquestionable. Sure, he doesn't do anything else on the basketball court, but his scoring alone gives him a very high ceiling. The Jazz are hoping that since he is no longer on an under-performing college team he will have to strengthen other parts of his game while maintaining his scoring prowess. Best case scenario: Sensabaugh's all-around game comes along once he gets into the league and he becomes a very good scoring role player for years to come. Worst case scenario: He only relies on his scoring acumen and even that doesn't translate to the NBA game completely, so he faces a short career. He was worth a shot that late in the first round.
pc: via Fan Nation
This type of value in a draft is unheard of. Hendricks is a lock to be a very good player in the league, George has a very high ceiling, and Sensabaugh will be a bucket getter no matter what. Combine that with a young team that was very promising last season and you have a recipe for prolonged success for years to come. Needless to say, I am very excited.