Taylor Hendricks, a second-year forward for the Utah Jazz, left Monday's road game against the Dallas Mavericks on a stretcher after suffering a gruesome, non-contact leg injury. The video can be found here, but be warned, the injury is graphic. The Jazz announced after the game that Hendricks suffered a fractured right fibula and dislocated ankle. He is expected to miss the remainder of the season, per ESPN.
The injury came midway through the third quarter. Jordan Clarkson had just rebounded a Luka Doncic miss and the Jazz were running the floor. As Hendricks filled the right lane, he collapsed ahead of the baseline. It is unclear what exactly caused the injury, only that his right leg gave out and he fell to the floor. Hendricks was quickly taken out of the game from there.
"Everybody on our team and really in our organization who's traveling with us went through that room to see him just now," Utah coach Will Hardy said after the game. "I'll sit down and have a longer conversation at some point in the near future. I know he's processing a lot right now. I'm sure he's getting a lot of messages from family and loved ones. We're going to do our best as a group to just continue to show him and his family some love and support during this."
"We're going to do our best as a group to just continue to show [Taylor] and his family some love and support during this."
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 29, 2024
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Hendricks was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He spent part of his rookie season playing in the G-League, but was given a bigger role down the stretch. While his offense remains a work in progress, he has emerged as a strong defender for a young Jazz team still eagerly seeking young cornerstones for its rebuild.
The Jazz inserted him into their starting lineup this season, and he figured to get plenty of opportunity for growth as the season progressed. Now, Hendricks will almost certainly miss a significant amount of time.
Hendricks averaged 6.0 points and 6.0 rebounds through the Jazz's first two games and had two points, three rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes before exiting Monday night's game. He averaged 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 40 games last season.
