Dallas • In the moments after Taylor Hendricks' leg snapped, it was immediately apparent what he meant to the Utah Jazz.
All around the bench, players and coaches alike held their heads in their hands. Some covered their eyes, afraid to confirm what they had witnessed live. Jazz head coach Will Hardy held his face in his shirt, then gritted his teeth.
Keyonte George wore a towel over his head, weeping underneath.
In the time since Hendricks was drafted by the organization 17 months ago, the 20-year-old had integrated himself into the fabric of the team. While he was known as a quiet, shy youngster, he had begun to open up off the court for the Jazz, building connections with those he spent his days alongside.
And his injury — a fractured fibula and a dislocated ankle that suddenly dropped him to the floor on Monday — rocked the team.
“It’s just put me in an emotional state,” George said. “That’s just my brother. I didn’t know him growing up, and 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.”
Hendricks had also started to mean a lot for the Jazz on the court as well. As a rookie, he started the season at the G-League level, his skills too raw to make a difference in the NBA. But as time went by, Hendricks began to change: his body got bigger, his face grew older, his shot started to fall, and he started to pick up stops.
By the beginning of his second season, Hendricks had moved into the Jazz‘s starting lineup as the team’s defensive ace. He started the season guarding Ja Morant, then matched up against Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in the first half of Monday’s contest. His teammates were impressed with the verve he put into his low-usage role.
“You talk about giving something to the team — he was willing to give up his whole offensive game to stop the guy that we wanted to stop each and every night, and buy into what shots the team wanted," George said.
The Jazz will miss those contributions, though there are multiple candidates to replace Hendricks' minutes in the starting lineup. Moving John Collins back into the starting lineup is one possibility, as is starting one of two rookies — Cody Williams or Kyle Filipowski. None, however, would bring quite the skillset Hendricks does.
“He brings a lot to the table. His jump shot is better, he helps with our spacing. A heck of a defender, he brings his length on the floor,” Jazz star Lauri Markkanen said. “We’re going to miss him a lot.”
Hendricks was able to fly home with the Jazz Monday night, allaying fears he might have to stay in Dallas overnight to deal with the injury.
“Everybody on our team and really in our organization that’s traveling with us went through that room to see him just now,” Hardy said after the game.
There were hugs, daps, and words of support.
Hendricks was then carted to the Jazz’s team bus, with a walking boot and crutches to be used for the moments he would have to move upright. A lengthy recovery process is certain. There is no early word on his timetable, but it is possible he could miss the entire season with his broken fibula and dislocated ankle.
“It‘s hard to stomach. He‘s put in a lot of hard work, 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,“ Hardy said. ”Your heart breaks for Taylor because of the kid that he is and all the work that he’s put in and how he’s approached this early part of his career.”
“T is a really good dude,” center Walker Kessler said. “The biggest thing is just being there for him physically and checking up on him. Right now, he just needs a lot of support from a lot of people.”
But perhaps it was Hardy who wrapped up the emotions of the night most aptly.
“These are the moments in sports that suck,” he said.
