The NBA Summer League is bringing more than the Heat (get it) for players, and it was time for the Utah Jazz to meet the Toronto Raptors in Vegas. There aren’t many times where the pressure could be harder than for a rookie playing for their NBA team for the first time, and that’s just what this game was for Cody Williams for the Jazz and Ja’Kobe Walter for the Raptors. This is more than just showing what he can do, it changes the team and everything about them on the court. However, he wasn’t the only one who came out shining in the game, as it was Tylor Hendricks’ night.
Raptors striving to contain Taylor Hendricks
In the last twenty times the Jazz and Raptors have met, their record is 11 wins over Utah. These evenly matched teams brought their new talent, draft picks, and updated staff changes. Also, the Jazz have had a great deal of noise revolving around Lauri Markkanen being traded at any moment.
After the tip-off, things were tight in the game. With only five minutes left in the first quarter, Jamal Shead made a floater with a foul and a free throw. That set the Raptors on a run with two and a half minutes left in the quarter, giving them the lead over the Utah Jazz, 17 to 9. Cody Williams, with the Jazz, finally answered with a 3, giving them a little hope before the end of the period.
Second half analysis
Then, in the second, with seven minutes showing the Jazz up by one, Kyle Filipowski drives it in, giving them a three-point lead over the Raptors. From that point to the half, it was all the Utah Jazz, making the score Raptors 31 and the Jazz 42. Third quarter, the Raptors weren’t going down without a fight as Javon Freeman-Liberty drained a corner 3, adding to his game-high 24 points. When not soon after, the former Duke Blue Devil product answered with a Reverse layup, making the scoreboard read 48 to 39.
From that time on, it was all Jazz until the end of the game, with the score being Jazz 86 and Toronto 76. The real story isn’t the Jazz taking the win but how Taylor Hendricks came away with 23 points, nine rebounds, and three 3-pointers. There seemed to be no stopping him, and he couldn’t miss, as he made 9 for ten from the field and was 3 for four from beyond the arc.
Post-game: Utah Jazz insight
Jazz summer league coach Sean Sheldon said:
I think we can try to get him out of the corners a little more. I think a really easy way for our guys to try to get involved is just offensive rebounding and crashing. It’s a good way to get yourself a rebound and try to get an easy one at the rim. You see one go in, and then it’s like, OK, you’re kind of rolling a little bit.
Hendricks grew up in Fort Lauderdale, and it wasn’t long before he was a freshman player for UCF. In 2023, the Utah Jazz selected him as the ninth overall pick in the NBA draft. He was the highest NBA draft pick, the first lottery pick, and the first one-and-done player in UCF history. After his fantastic game against the Raptors, when asked what he did differently, Hendricks offered the following:
Just my mindset, really. I’m still taking the same shots; just slowing myself down a little bit and letting the offense come to me. You learn something every game, so I’m looking to keep this going.
A few more mindset games like that and the Utah Jazz won’t be stopped. There are some games where players can’t do anything wrong, and this may have just been Hendrick’s night. However, there is a long way to go before the start of the season and the playoffs for every NBA player to show their quality, I can’t wait.
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