Justin Zanik Sounds Off on Expectations for Jazz's Second-Year Players

The Utah Jazz will have a key year of development ahead of them.

Apr 11, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) drives against Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Utah Jazz are entering the quickly approaching 2024-25 NBA season anticipating a strong year of development and growth for their young players, especially so when looking at the group of this team's collection of second-year guys: Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, and Brice Sensabaugh.

All three are coming off a full summer of offseason development and now look primed for a step up heading into their second years in the league. It's a burning topic ahead of the coming season, the Jazz front office addressed during their first media availability of the year on Friday.

When asked about what the expectation is for the team's second-year players ahead of their sophomore campaigns, Zanik expressed his desire for each of them to "get better day by day," and expects some positive growth in both the year two players and the rest of the roster:

"We are so excited about this season with our young guys...[The second-year players] have been here all summer. You guys will see market changes in their bodies; their games. What does that mean in terms of expected production? The expectation is we want them to get better day by day. They're setting an example for our young rookies that are coming in here, and really, their energy and ability to merge and play with our group. It's going to be an exciting year to watch these guys grow, and I think that applies up and down to the roster."

- Justin Zanik, Jazz GM

It'll be the second full season of play for Keyonte George, who looks primed for a second-year breakout as the day-one starting point guard, while Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh foresee a solid bump in an opportunity to secure NBA minutes after beginning last season within the G League ranks.

This past offseason was one filled with a few rumors of All-Star level contributors finding their way to Salt Lake City, but without any big fish coming aboard, it sets the pathway up nicely for this young talent to have more volume, minutes, and a chance to develop into quality NBA players while being coached alongside one of the brightest in the game with third-year HC Will Hardy.

Expect a strong season from each of the three sophomores as they'll likely find their way into a more extensive role within the Jazz's rotation for year two.

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