The Utah Jazz suffered a blow in their Monday night loss to the Dallas Mavericks (102-110) that went well beyond the game’s final score as second-year starter Taylor Hendricks suffered a serious leg injury in the second quarter. – He broke his fibula, sprained his ankle and ended his season early after just three games.

After such an emotional event, it was a difficult night for all players and coaches to navigate. It’s not often you see such a devastating injury happen on the floor, and every time you see it, it’s hard not to feel your heart sink.

Third-year Jazz coach Will Hardy spoke about Hendricks’ injury after the game.

“The most important thing right now is Taylor,” Hardy said. “It’s hard to bear. He did a lot of hard work. He’s a great boy. We’re really just trying to focus on him, on his health, on keeping him fit, on his mood as he starts the road to recovery. “Those are the moments in sports that suck. He has put in a lot of work, he deserves a chance and we will help him come back.

Hendricks had a good start to his second year as a pro, showcasing his abilities as a two-way hitter and showcasing impressive defensive traits, allowing him to be Utah’s primary offensive defender early in the season. In the first 43 games of his career, he averaged 7.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and nearly one block and one steal per game.

“It breaks your heart for Taylor because of the kid he is, because of all the work he’s put in and how he’s approached this early part of his career. If I’m honest, there are probably moments afterwards where I don’t. “I think very clearly, so I assume it’s the same for the players.

Despite the injury, Coach Hardy remained confident in his top ten selection. It’s clear that Hendricks has put in a lot of work in his first calendar year in the NBA, and that will only lead to him continuing to progress.

“The injury will just put a pause on his development for now. It doesn’t take away anything he did at that point. Taylor has obviously gained a lot of weight and strength. That was evident in the pre-season and the season at the start of this season… This is far from over for him.

Hendricks’ second year is coming to an end, but we can expect the dual striker to be back by this time next year and what will hopefully be a quick and successful recovery process.

Follow Inside The Jazz continues Facebook And Twitter/X.

Subscribe to YouTube for breaking jazz news videos and live streams!