In a subscriber-only article for The Salt Lake Tribune, Andy Larsen provides insight into how the Utah Jazz envision the development of their recent draft picks during the offseason.
The piece includes detailed comments from general manager Justin Zanik and head coach Will Hardy, who spoke candidly about the progress and expectations for young players like Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski.
A central theme of the Jazz’s offseason plans revolves around individual player growth, especially for Keyonte George. Coach Will Hardy highlighted two main areas of focus for the young guard: defense and shooting discipline.
“Keyonte has got to improve his defense,” Hardy said, according to Larsen. “His defense can be improved in a variety of ways. Some of it is the mental aspect, but there also is an element of his conditioning and his physical strength.”
The coach emphasized that becoming a more complete player will require George to sharpen both his on-ball effort and off-ball awareness and to bring more consistent intensity on the defensive end.
While George showed flashes of scoring prowess and offensive confidence during his rookie season, Hardy noted that developing a more refined approach to shot selection and understanding when to assert himself offensively will be just as critical.
Shooting discipline – knowing when to take the right shots and how to better involve teammates – is a key focus for the coaching staff this summer.
Though the article primarily focused on George, Larsen also relayed broader organizational expectations for the rest of the Jazz’s young core.
Taylor Hendricks, for instance, is expected to build on his defensive versatility and grow more assertive offensively. Brice Sensabaugh will be working to improve his lateral quickness and defensive reliability.
Meanwhile, incoming rookies Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski will be introduced to the Jazz’s development system with an emphasis on NBA conditioning, fundamentals, and adapting to the team’s pace and spacing philosophies.
According to Larsen, both Zanik and Hardy are optimistic about the group’s long-term potential, but made it clear that offseason work will be crucial to translating talent into a tangible on-court impact.
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