Star Chart: Future Hendricks
Once unheralded, now an up-and-comer, what does the Future hold for Taylor Hendricks and his potential stardom?
“They said I couldn’t reach Mars, so I turned to a star.” Future ft. The Weeknd, Comin’ Out Strong
Some futures are hard to see, even with the guidance and wisdom of the Baskcrystball. Others are easier to see, like Grammy-winning musical artist Future. All you need for that is a ticket.
That’s just one of the things that makes Taylor Hendricks, a freshman forward out of Fort Lauderdale playing for the UCF Golden Knights, similar to Future Hendrix: you can buy a ticket to watch both of them do what them at the top of their respective games.
Before we dive into what makes Hendricks, who was not an RSCI Top-50 recruit, such a tantalizing prospect, it is important to take stock of what has happened close to the top of the 2023 prospect pool to prime his ascent.
While there is a clear top two of Victor Wembenyama and Scoot Henderson, the rest of the lottery is up in flux, due to different injuries, breakouts, and slow starts from heralded freshman.
Nick Smith Jr., Cam Whitmore, and Dariq Whitehead are all working their way back to health. Dereck Lively II, Dillon Mitchell, and Kel’El Ware still have not broken out on their teams. In comparison, players like Brice Sensabaugh, Judah Mintz, and Donovan Clingan have all seized the opportunities given and ran into a high degree of success.
When looking at the future, however, Taylor Hendricks is worthy of extra attention, not due to his quick ascent, but for what he’s done to rise so quickly:
“First off, we had to blast off like a rocket (Skrrt, skrrt)” Future, First Off
If you only looked at the box score, you’d be impressed with what Hendricks has done in the ten games of the season. He’s putting up 15.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks, all while shooting at a 51/48/75 percentage line.
His biggest skill so far has been his long-range marksmanship, where he’s been one of the best stretch-4s in the country:
With a usage percentage just above 20%, it’s clear that he’s doing so within the flow of the offense, which makes his efficiency and production that much more impressive. There are no other stars on his team, yet Hendricks’ stats don’t appear to be just empty air.
“I wake up and pray every morning / These demons, they callin’ my soul / I said ---- all you ---- / I’m ballin’ out of control." Future, Scholarships
One of the most enticing parts of his game is his shooting from outside the arc. Although it is unlikely that he will keep draining half of the threes that he takes, it’s understandable when watching his game why he’s hit such a high clip early on:
The balance required to hit the first shot after a slick dribble move, as he drifts to the left, is apparent in his clean mechanics and upright motion on his jumper. Hendricks has done his damage off of passes, pick and pops, and cuts, which shows the versatility he will bring to the NBA as a 6’9” combo forward.
Another area of Hendricks’ game that immediately pops on film is his prowess around the rim as a defender. He has long arms, solid instincts, and the same balance on offense that helps him contest without fouling. All of these ingredients cook together to form highlight blocks like this:
Even when he doesn’t block shots, the threat of his blocks from the weakside is a valuable tool for UCF to deploy on defense. It also speaks to his role in the NBA, where he is undersized to be a rim anchor, but could instead be a wonderful rotating shot blocker.
“They don’t like it when you’re telling the truth/ I’d rather be realer than you” Future, Thought It Was a Drought
With his success on the inside and outside, along with the tools that he uses on defense, there aren’t many holes in Hendricks’ game. Where they exist are less about what he can’t do well and more about what he hasn’t developed into a usable skill yet.
One of his largest areas of growth is in his self-creation for himself and others. As a shooter, Hendricks is feasting off of his movement and the passing of others. This clip of highlights is a great microcosm of the main ways that Hendricks has gotten his looks from deep this year:
That last highlight speaks to what teams will want to see more of from Hendricks in the NBA. Although his handle needs work, the ability to dribble into a shot and maintain separation will let the offense add nuance and flavor to his role, instead of limiting him to be a play finisher:
His ability to create for others is also a place he could improve. Hendricks isn’t asked to create for others, notably, but without clear cut passing chops and by dishing only 0.7 assists per game, there is room for growth here.
Hendricks’ ability to guard in space will also be tested as the season goes on. With such a menacing presence around the rim, teams will likely try to switch Hendricks onto smaller players who can outrun him around the arc or larger big men who can push him around the block due to his slighter frame.
So far, he’s done an admirable job to hold up in those situations. How he performs on these moving forward will dictate exactly what kind of prospect he can be.
“Take the lesson, put it all in the air,” Future, Codeine Crazy
In the NBA, teams will likely ask Hendricks to lean on his strengths while developing the rest of his game during practices and offseasons. This means he’ll slot in as a stretch four early in his career. With his responsibilities focused on long range shooting, recovery blocks, and guarding slower players than other forwards, teams would put Hendricks into positions to succeed:
He shouldn’t be asked to be a primary creator from the forward spot, lest his current lack of creativity and wiggle with the ball in his hands dull his impact in other places. Expecting Hendricks to come in and save a team on his own would be their folly; selecting him to be a star role player who can contribute to a team culture would better suit Hendricks and his NBA home.
"It can get scary when you legendary,” Future, Sorry
Hendricks’ ceiling, which has already skyrocketed in the early NCAA season, would balloon if he started to show the semblance of offensive creation and fast defensive footwork. Even without those, however, there is a star outline that Hendricks can look at in the NBA that would spell success for him.
Offensively, with his size, balance, and shooting prowess, Hendricks looks akin to the role that Lauri Markkanen has played for the Jazz this year. Although Markkanen can create a bit more on drives to the rim right now, the long ball has been Markkanen’s bellwether for his early All-Star rise:
The Mark-etype that Lauri fits into is one that Hendricks should shoot (literally) for. The signature ability to shoot from deep, make plays without the ball in his hands, and use his size to great effect makes the two similar on offense.
On defense, Hendricks would have a bigger edge than Lauri. Although he’s a few inches shorter and skinnier, Hendricks has already shown a punchier game on the inside for the Golden Knights than Markkanen did in Arizona, Chicago, Cleveland, or Utah.
That two-way play is what could unlock Taylor Hendricks to not just be a great complementary piece of a team on both ends of the floor, but to be something great in the future: a star in his role who could make an All-Star team (or more) with a few key developmental leaps.