As we patiently wait for the Utah Jazz‘s looming regular season debut, it makes for a perfect time to take a peek at how this roster is positioned for the year ahead, along with what the expectations could be for each member of their rotation for 2024-25.

In the days leading up to the next NBA season, we’ll be looking across the Jazz depth chart to throw a few stat predictions out as to how the numbers will inevitably shake out in Utah. After a productive offseason of continuing to build on their young talent, this roster has several names to keep an eye on for a potential breakout soon to come.

Today, we’ll be looking at Taylor Hendricks, who comes into his 2024-25 campaign looking to build off of a solid rookie season.

With that, here’s a look at how Hendricks’s second-year pro with the Jazz could fare:

During Hendricks’s second season in the league, some may foresee the 20-year-old entering the season ready to make a lofty and extensive sophomore year jump as many other players around the league have done in recent memory, though I expect Hendricks to have a modest increase in his numbers.

The biggest step in the right direction for Hendricks this coming season could be his potential to find a place to stick in the starting lineup after only starting 23 games during his rookie campaign. Utah should be expected to emphasize their youth movement more than they have in their last two seasons, and as a result, Hendricks can inevitably get more involved and find more minutes to come his way.

However, instead of being a focal point offensively, I see Hendricks’s role to be more catered towards the defensive end to be one of Utah’s coveted anchors on that side of the ball.

The Jazz were ranked as the worst team for defensive rating in the NBA last season, but if their 9th-overall pick from last summer can take some strides forward in his impact as a defensive anchor, things won’t look as bleak for this unit as it did for 2023-24. With this in mind, Hendricks could easily evolve to average close to a steal and a block per game, some considerable increases from his rookie sample size.

Along with some potential steps forward defensively, Hendricks should also see some improvements in his efficiency. As a rookie, Hendricks shot 37.9% from the three-point line on 3.5 attempts a night, and as his opportunity expands, those numbers should see progression as well. The UCF product could enter this year nearing closer to 40% from deep, while also seeing some improvements from the field.

The volume of his shots may not be massive, as he’ll be playing alongside offensive generators like Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and Keyonte George, but on the other side of the ball, Hendricks has the chance to develop into one of the best defensive pieces in Utah for the foreseeable future this season.

Needless to say, expect some strong steps forward from Hendricks moving into his second year in the league.

Previous Predictions:

Keyonte George / Collin Sexton / Jordan Clarkson / John Collins / Walker Kessler