For most, this matchup between the Jazz and the Mavericks is a chance to see Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey — two of the frontrunners to win Rookie of the Year — do battle on the basketball court. For me,
an outspoken fashionista and peruser of all things beautiful, I tuned in to witness the majesty of the brand-new white uniforms. My report? They are truly spectacular. Majestic and breathtaking.
Cooper Flagg, the number one overall pick, was likewise on full display in Salt Lake City. Far be it from me to criticize a man’s facial hair when I, myself, am incapable of growing a full beard, but no matter the promotion going on at Party City, Flagg still paid too much for that goatee. In spite of this, Jason Kidd started the youngster at point guard, spitting in the face of the purists of this game at a level unmatched since the obscene Jeremy Sochan experiment in San Antonio.
In the preseason, the scoreboard doesn’t matter, and what you see on the floor isn’t always what you get during the regular season. But for the Utah Jazz, preseason is a chance to witness player development and recognize improvements made over the offseason. It’s all we have. So I’ll run through the events of the game, give you a quick report, but then scribe out what we’re actually watching for.
Cooper Flagg in the NBA looks an awful lot like Cooper Flagg at Duke. He was a bit rocky from three-point land, but he more than made up for that in hustle and versatility in every aspect of the game. Goatee or no, this dude can hoop. Unless Ace becomes a perennial All-Star, Jazz fans may forever dread the fact that they fell to fifth in this year’s draft. Flagg finished with 11 points and 7 boards in 21 minutes.
Dallas, a team looking to challenge for an NBA Finals run this season, kept the Jazz at arm’s length throughout, nursing a lead that held steady around an 8-12 point differential from the third quarter onward. The Mavs took home a 114-101 victory.
It has been said that when you can’t say how you’re feeling, you should sing instead. In light of this, I would like to express how watching Cody Williams makes me feel.
He had his moments, like a corner-pocket three-ball to close out the first half and a gnarly crossover into a swirl-around lay-in to rekindle the flickering hope remaining in my heart, but his whole body of work, especially his efficiency when attacking the basket, is utterly depressing, and that is all I have the heart to say at the moment.
I have a thing or two to say about Brice Sensabaugh, however. He may be the purest shooter Utah has seen in quite some time. No motion is wasted with this man, and his goose-neck release is smooth in the loadup and snappy upon the release. It’s textbook. It’s poetry. It’s finding a $20 bill in your pocket, only to find another $20 upon second inspection.
So much sweetness.
Before the preseason, I wrote a piece about how Brice’s production from last season has gone too unmentioned. I believe this excerpt holds true in early returns from this year.
“…it blows my mind how egregiously the discourse has whiffed on Brice Sensabaugh. […] after a second year in the pros and a questionable jersey number change (surely we can do better than 28, or am I the only one weirded out by this?), Sensabaugh was better — and dare I say excellent — in the core aspect of his game as a sophomore. That’s putting the basketball through the cylinder. He averaged double-digits in the point column, and on salivating efficiency.”
Brice looked so sharp out there tonight. He’s got a spot in Utah’s long-term plans if this is the player he’s become. He finished with 16 points, hitting 3-for-7 from distance.
Taylor Hendricks has absolutely transformed his body during his time off the court (I may just make this its own article soon), but he’s clearly added plenty of muscle to his frame, and he looks massive. He’s comfortable attacking inside the three-point arc, muscling and downright bullying more limber opposition inside the key. Despite this, his defense hasn’t slowed down to balance with his increased mass. On several occasions, he single-handedly slammed the door on his assignment’s attempt to penetrate Utah’s defense — even against guards.
The original first-round pick from Utah’s rebuilding era, Hendricks not only revolutionized his body, but he’s also added unforeseen versatility to his toolbox. Early indicators suggest Taylor has returned better than ever, finishing dunks in traffic, draining shots from distance, and commanding respect in every aspect of the game. He was on the glass, on the break, and on the scoreboard. Hendricks 2.0 finished with 14 points.
Ace Bailey, the golden goose of Utah’s draft, was a bit quieter tonight, scoring just 3 points on five shots in the first half. His night was cut short due to what was reported on the broadcast as “bilateral knee soreness”. We’ll hope that’s minor discomfort and keep our fingers crossed for a quick return.
Walter Clayton Jr., though his numbers don’t exactly pop on the box score, was a steadying presence at point guard in Isaiah Collier’s absence. Though he’s yet to really light the lame from downtown, Utah’s rookie guard has been a confident distributor, making smart passes and keeping the offense in motion are admirable qualities in a modern 1-guard. Hustling, diming, and playing heartfelt basketball is exactly why the Jazz traded up to pick him. 3-point shooting circa Florida 2025 will be on display soon enough, and we saw a bit of that on a contested fallaway swish in the fourth. Unfortunately, that was his only successful field goal of the night, but Clayton was a perfect five-for-five from the stripe. Eight points with six dimes and five boards is solid from the rookie.
Overall, a solid outing for the Jazz youngsters, and a fun debut for the frosty white jerseys.
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.
