Jazz Rookie Taylor Hendricks Talks Which Veteran Has Pushed Him Most

The Utah Jazz forward is gaining support from his teammates before his first year pro.

As rookies get drafted and become established in the NBA, it is crucial to discover veteran talent and leadership to help guide the way in such a turbulent adjustment period. Many come into the league at 18 or 19 years old, and even the most highly touted prospects are unable to make that hefty jump by themselves alone.

Thankfully for the Utah Jazz, 9th overall selection Taylor Hendricks has been getting that valuable guidance early, as he described in his NBA Media Day presser earlier this month. He was asked which veteran on the team has been pushing him the hardest, for which he then gave his take:

“I would say Collin Sexton,” Hendricks said. "We’ve been on the same team for a lot of the runs, and just him teaching me and challenging me to do different things... It’s been great. Just being in the gym with some of the other guys, just me and my teammates. I feel like it’s been going great."

While Sexton is not the stereotypical NBA veteran, given he’ll only be entering his sixth season pro at 24 years old, it is clear he has been providing a positive impact and voice during practice and training camp. Throughout his career, Collin’s been known to bring some high energy and intensity to the floor, and this just proves to be another example of just that.

The lack of experience on this Jazz roster has been an area of concern through this past summer, with G Jordan Clarkson and F Kelly Olynyk as the oldest players on the team at 31 years old. Considering how young the core of this team is, the general expectation would be to have a more established veteran presence on the team, but that’s not the case this year in Utah.

With this promising core, the Jazz will be one of the most intriguing watches as the 2023-24 NBA year unfolds. The season will begin for Utah on October 25th as they take on the Sacramento Kings in Delta Center.

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