As the Jazz rookies transition into their second NBA season, all three need to better prepare their bodies for the grind and rigor of an 82-game schedule—and beyond.
During the offseason, the Utah Jazz have to make a lot of choices about the draft, free agency, summer trades, and other things. One important thing for the team’s future success is still the development of its 2023–24 rookies.
Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, and Brice Sensabaugh all need to work on a variety of technical skills and small details on the court. However, taking care of their bodies will be the most important thing they do during their first NBA summer.
“The off-season work we’ve talked about with each of those guys is broken down into different groups,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “Their bodies are the first ones for all of them. It’s just how things are when you’re a young guy coming into the NBA. This season, all three of them have worked very hard. We’ve seen changes in their bodies since the start of the season. You might not see as much growth as you’d like when you play minutes, whether it’s here or in the G League.
After going through end-of-season meetings with Hardy and Jazz brass, Sensabaugh said the thing that stood out the most was the need to be in better shape overall, which includes building strength, cutting weight, getting more flexible, and finding burst in ways that he previously hadn’t developed.
It’s a sentiment that was shared by George, who knows that his conditioning is directly tied to his ability to navigate around screens and to be able to play longer stretches. And Hendricks knows that the things he wants to spend his time on are all going to depend on how much his body evolves.
“The main thing for me is my creativity on the ball,” Hendricks said. “And a lot of it has to do with strength and my body. I want to work on a lot bigger muscle mass.”
That the message sunk in for the young players is music to Hardy’s ears, because this isn’t just about cutting a few pounds or hopping on the treadmill more often
“The summer is the opportunity to really dig in on your body, and it’s not just strength,” Hardy said. “It’s about quickness, definitely conditioning for all three of them, and more. I think they’re finding out now, based on the minutes they’re playing, that none of them are probably in good enough shape to be who they want to be. “There is a lot of work to do this summer.”
While there is some understanding that these are all 20-year-old young men, whose bodies aren’t going to take the form of an NBA veteran over the course of a couple months, it is also important for them to understand that they have to train not only their bodies but their minds.
RELATED
Where does Keyonte George fit into the Jazz’s future success?
Can Lauri Markkanen fast-track the Utah Jazz’s rebuild? He sure hopes so Utah Jazz share plans for a stacked Summer League roster
The young players on this Jazz team, and that includes Walker Kessler, who is gearing up for his third NBA season, don’t know what it’s like to be playing beyond the 82-game regular season plan. When the season finished, they were drained, not just physically but mentally and emotionally.
Hardy wants them to be able to push past that fatigue and have the fortitude to go beyond what feels safe.
“The part that they maybe haven’t processed yet is that if we’re where we want to be … we would be preparing to go play our best basketball of the season right now,” Hardy said following the Jazz’s last game of the year. “Taking a few days off, do our playoff prep, and then it’s go-time. So you have to prepare your body in a way that you can survive not only an 82-game season, but then be ready to play in the playoffs.”
So, when the youngsters return to Salt Lake City for Summer League in July, the Jazz want to see that there’s been major progress and work done. It’s the midpoint of the offseason and will be a good time to judge how the rookies are preparing for their second NBA season.
