Brice Sensabaugh 'not too worried' about his role with Utah Jazz
Brice Sensabaugh‘s dreams became a reality last Thursday when he was selected in the 2023 NBA Draft. Following his impressive lone freshman season with Ohio State, Sensabaugh was selected with the No. 28 pick in the first round of the draft by the Utah Jazz.
Sensabaugh was the go-to guy for the Buckeyes last season, leading the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game. But as he transitions to the professional level, his role will likely change as he enters his first season. And in is first press conference for the team, Sensabaugh was asked about potentially being more of a role player for the Jazz.
“I’m not too worried about it, as a young guy I’m just ready to come in and be a sponge and learn as much as I can as early as I can,” Sensabaugh said. “And whatever they ask me, I’m gonna do, and if my role expands so be it.”
Sensabaugh’s mentality is a good one to have as he joins a young, rebuilding Jazz team. The team parted ways with star players Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert last offseason in exchange for a slew of young assets and draft capital. And between trading Mitchell and Gobert alone the Jazz received seven players, seven first-round draft picks, and three pick swaps.
One of those players was Lauri Markkanen, who was the focal point of Utah’s team last season. Markkanen led the team with 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, being named an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career and earning the NBA Most Improved Player award at the end of the season.
Sensabaugh will have to defer to veterans like Markkanen and another 20-point-per-game scorer in Jordan Clarkson, but he’s also set on improving himself and in turn, potentially maximizing his role on the team as the season moves along.
“I’m definitely gonna work, I want to maximize my potential. So I don’t want to just settle for less than what I’m capable of,” Sensabaugh said.
Balancing being a role player and pushing towards making progress and expanding that role can be a challenge, but Sensabaugh definitely has the tools to make an impact on the Jazz as early as his rookie season.
Aside from his 16.3 points per game, the 6-foot-5, 235-pound forward also grabbed 5.4 rebounds per game and shot an impressive 48.2% from the field, 40.5% from the three-point line, and 83% from the three-point line.
He joins forces with Taylor Hendricks and Keyonte George, Utah’s other first-round selections along with the rest of their young core. And it will definitely be interesting to see what kind of role and impact Sensabaugh will play when the season tips off.