Keyonte George texted Taylor Hendricks to 'be ready'; the No. 9 pick showed he's getting closer

SALT LAKE CITY — A few days ago, Keyonte George sent a text to Taylor Hendricks that said, "Be ready."

Flash forward to Saturday morning and Hendricks was staying late at the Utah Jazz practice facility. He was getting some extra dribble work in and fine-tuning his shot.

He was getting ready.

With the Jazz hindered by injury, the team called on the No. 9 pick of June's draft for help in their overtime win over Portland on Saturday. Not just to sit on the bench, either; they made it clear that he was going to play a role.

And he played it well.

In the second quarter, Portland's prized rookie Scoot Henderson tried to take him off the dribble and elevate for a jump shot. Hendricks blocked it.

Later in the quarter, he chased down Shaedon Sharpe's drive and swatted his layup attempt away.

"I think overall he did a very good job," Jazz coach Will Hardy said. "I'm way more concerned with Taylor's defense than his offense. I think he has some really good moments switching on to the ball. He got a couple of nice block shots. He had one chasing down in transition, had one on the ball on a jump shot that was great. That's my expectation for him."

Hendricks finished the game with 5 points, two rebounds and two blocks in his first meaningful NBA action.

"I feel really good," Hendricks said. "I put in a lot of work in the G League and trying to get better to ultimately lead up to this point. It felt pretty good."

The most positive thing about Saturday is that the flashes Hendricks has shown in the G League — the highlight blocks, the shooting, and the athelticms — do seem like they can translate to an NBA game.

That doesn't mean the Jazz are ready for Hendricks to be a permanent part of the rotation. Once Lauri Markkanen and Kelly Olynyk return, Hendricks will more than likely continue his rookie season back with the Stars. That isn't a bad thing. He's gotten loads of minutes in Utah's system playing against pro competition. And it's helped.

Hendricks admitted that his comfort level has grown immensely since his first preseason game in October. He thanks the G League for that.

"When I was out there, I was trying to feel comfortable. Like I was thinking, 'Okay, this is a G league game, I should feel comfortable,' and I felt comfortable," he said. "The guys are pretty much the same in the G League, like tall, strong, but it's pretty much the same thing for me."

He said that being able to watch his game film has helped his basketball IQ, and allowe him to see where he needs to improve. Based on what he has shown with the Stars — and showed glimpses of against the Blazers — his Jazz teammates are excited about his progress.

"I think he's gonna be a monster," said George. "Helpside, on-ball — he's coming into himself as a player. ... I've been seeing what he's been doing with the Stars. I think that can come into play with us. Being that guy that comes can guard the best player. frustrate him, helpside, go block the shot. We all know he can hit open shots. He could shoot that thing. Just gotta be confident."

Saturday only improved that confidence.

"I'm just excited that the opportunity came for him," George said. "We always talk about having an opportunity and I think he took pride and opportunity. Ultimately just had fun."

It helped the Jazz got the win, too.

"When somebody gets thrown in for the first time you're just kind of hoping they don't disrupt the rhythm of the team and he didn't do that at all," Hardy said. "I thought his energy added to our group tonight. And he helped us get a win."

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