NBA Draft Expert Gives Glowing Mavs Evaluation of Taylor Hendricks

One NBA Draft expert shared insight into why UCF forward Taylor Hendricks would be such a helpful prospect for the Mavs to select with the 10th pick.

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks are expected to trade the 10th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but it's still important to give consideration to potential prospects. With a need to improve defensively, one of the more intriguing options to monitor is UCF product Taylor Hendricks.

The upcoming NBA lottery boasts a number of promising players, such as Taylor Hendricks, a 6'9'' forward from UCF. In his freshman season, he averaged 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. He shot 47.8% from the floor, 39.4% from beyond the arc, and 78.2% on free throws.

Based on the latest projections, there are more mock drafts that have Hendricks falling to 10th overall, including Bleacher Report, Yahoo Sports, and NBA Analysis Network among others. 

During a recent appearance of the 'Inside The Mavs' podcast, Rafael Barlow of NBA Big Board provided his expertise of the draft with his perspective on Hendricks being among the many topics of discussion. What would Hendricks provide Dallas if he was selected to join Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving?

"What he does provide is [provide] floor spacing. I think he shot 39% from three, and he is a good defender. He protects the rim," Barlowe said. "So he is someone that I think could provide value for Dallas, also not as big as lively, but you know, for lack of stretch four that can rebound and block shots. I think he's someone that Dallas should definitely consider."

At the start of his freshman season at Central Florida, Hendricks wasn't on the radar for many when evaluating draft prospects. In fact, Barlowe mentioned that he had discovered Hendricks by accident due to a friend. 

"Hendricks is this guy that really kind of came outta nowhere, wasn't a top 20 recruit, wasn't highly touted as this one-and-done, can't-miss prospect. And I want to say that I saw it early and it was totally by accident," Barlowe explained. 

"A friend of mine played for Florida State. [Hendricks] played Florida State in like the first or second game of the year. I saw the flashes and I kind of wrote in my notes like, 'Okay, this is somebody to look out for.' And then I had a very well-respected talent evaluator call me and was like, have you seen Taylor Hendricks from Central Florida? I'm like, I really just saw him play last night. He was like, 'I think this guy's gonna be a first rounder.'"

Hendricks was among the top winners of the NBA Scouting Combine, but his ultimate landing spot may be impacted by how the lottery played out. There are fits ahead of the Mavs, including the Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers, that could find Hendricks to be worth selecting. 

"Taylor Hendricks is in a situation where Orlando needs shooting and even though they have depth at his position, but they need shooting and he could be someone that can go as high as six, especially when they have six and 11," Barlowe explained.

"Indiana needs help at the forward spot so he could end up playing there and maybe they would go with Jarrace Walker. And so I feel like he's either going to fall to Dallas at 10 or Orlando, or Indiana's gonna take him at seven."

There are a few factors at play against Hendricks landing with the Mavs, including whether the team even keeps the pick, along with if he's even available by the time the 10th pick is on the clock. For now, it's among the many possibilities to consider.

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Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).

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