Utah’s newfound defensive depth provides the perfect safety net for Brice Sensabaugh. Instead of benching the sophomore scorer, Will Hardy can finally unleash his elite bucket-getting potential.
The Utah Jazz spent much of their offseason addressing a defense that had become impossible to ignore.
That work should give Will Hardy more options, more flexibility and — perhaps most importantly — a better chance to keep Brice Sensabaugh's offense on the floor without asking him to become something he isn't overnight.
Using his defense as a reason to squeeze him out of the rotation now would miss the point of everything Utah just added around him.
KSL Sports recently projected Sensabaugh, Josh Okogie, Josh Green and Svi Mykhailiuk as candidates for what could become one remaining spot in Hardy's regular rotation, with Okogie receiving the early edge because of his experience and understanding of his role.
Sensabaugh shouldn't be the odd man out.
His defensive concerns are real. He still needs more consistency on that end, particularly if he eventually wants to establish himself as something beyond a scorer off the bench.
Utah finally has a roster better equipped to live with those limitations, though.
Jaren Jackson Jr. gives the Jazz an elite defensive presence in the frontcourt. Okogie brings a defense-first skill set. Utah also acquired Green from Minnesota for Cody Williams and John Konchar, adding another 6-foot-6 perimeter option with the profile of a useful 3-and-D contributor.
Those additions shouldn't push Sensabaugh aside.
They should make playing him easier.
Because among the players fighting for those minutes, Sensabaugh already owns one skill Utah shouldn't casually sacrifice … he can go get a bucket.
He averaged 14.9 points across 75 games last season while shooting 49.0% from the field, 36.7% from three and 82.6% at the line. Sensabaugh scored at least 20 points 24 times and broke 40 twice.
That's not theoretical production anymore.
Okogie may offer Hardy more defensively. Green may give Utah the cleaner two-way profile. Mykhailiuk can provide shooting without requiring many touches.
Sensabaugh brings a different element — self-created offense and legitimate scoring punch when a possession breaks down.
That matters even more for a Jazz team preparing to chase wins again. Fixing one end of the floor can't come at the expense of making the other unnecessarily difficult, especially when the entire point of acquiring better defenders is creating more lineup flexibility.
There will be nights when Sensabaugh gets targeted. There will be matchups where Hardy needs Okogie or Green instead. That's what real depth is supposed to look like.
Sensabaugh also shouldn't need to suddenly become an All-Defensive candidate to earn meaningful minutes.
He needs to defend well enough that Utah can keep his scoring on the floor.
For years, the Jazz lacked enough defensive answers to comfortably carry specialists. They spent this offseason changing that equation.
Now comes the important part … actually taking advantage of it.
Utah didn't surround Sensabaugh with better defenders just to become less willing to tolerate his weaknesses. The Jazz finally have the personnel to make those weaknesses less damaging — and that should give them every reason to unleash what he already does best.
