This was hard to watch: Utah second-year forward Taylor Hendricks was running down the court in transition, filling the right lane, when his right leg just collapsed under him and bent in an unnatural way. It was a non-contact injury and you knew it was serious when the medical staffs from both teams ran out to help him. He was taken off the court on a stretcher and straight to the hospital.
The Jazz confirmed after the game, “Hendricks suffered a fractured right fibula and dislocated ankle,” and with that is unquestionably done for the season (a story Tim MacMahon of ESPN broke). After the game, Jazz players and the coaching staff were understandably devastated.
Will Hardy: “He’s a great kid, and so we’re really just trying to focus on him, his health, keeping his spirits up, as he begins the road of his recovery.
But these are the moments in sports that suck.”
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) October 29, 2024
Keyonte George on Taylor Hendricks: “It’s just put me in an emotional state… That’s just my brother. I didn’t know him growing up, & then building a relationship with him over the year, he felt like family. I told him I loved him, told him I’m here for him, whatever he needs.”
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) October 29, 2024
In a rebuilding Jazz season where fans and the organization are looking for bright spots, Hendricks, 20, looked like he could be one of them. The 6’9″ forward, who was the No. 9 pick in 2023, had hit the weight room and got a lot stronger in the offseason, was moved into the starting lineup, and looked early on like an improved young player who could prove he was part of what the Jazz are building for the future. Now all of that is on hold while he spends the next year recovering from a gruesome leg injury.
Hendricks has a lot of career left ahead of him, but now he has an obstacle to overcome to get there in the form of a nasty leg injury.
