Taylor Hendricks 2023 NBA Draft profile: Could he solve the Mavericks defensive woes?

The Dallas Mavericks missed the playoffs for the first time since Luka Doncic's rookie year just one season after reaching the Western Conference Finals. This year's team was a disappointment and needs to undergo some major changes to return to the postseason.

The team that reached the Western Conference Finals was defensive-minded, had multiple ball handlers that could score, and had fantastic chemistry. The Mavericks team this year had multiple ball handlers that could score but didn't have the other two qualities. They couldn't defend and there seemed to be no chemistry.

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison already said that Dallas' two biggest needs this offseason are defense and rebounding, and one particular prospect in this year's draft can do one of those at an elite level and is above average at the other. His name is Taylor Hendricks.

Taylor Hendricks 2023 NBA Draft profile: Could he solve the Dallas Mavericks defensive woes?

Hendricks is a 6'9 power forward from the University of Central Florida that can defend, stretch the floor, and rebound at a high rate. He averaged 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 0.9 steals while shooting 39.4 percent from downtown during his lone college season. Hendricks is projected to fall somewhere in the middle of the lottery, and some draft boards even have him going in the top five.

If Hendricks is available at pick ten, Dallas should target him, assuming they keep their top-ten protected pick after the draft lottery on May 16.

Here is a look at his overall game and his potential fit on the Dallas Mavericks.

Taylor Hendricks' strengths

Taylor Hendricks is a unique prospect that has the potential to help fix multiple glaring issues within the Mavericks. Here are two of his biggest strengths observed from a breakdown of his film.

1. Defense

The Mavericks' biggest issue ahead of next season is defense. This just happens to be Hendricks' best skill, and Dallas can't overlook it.

Hendricks blocked 1.7 shots and collected 0.9 steals per game in his freshman season at UCF. He's the type of player that Dallas could bring in to immediately improve their defense.

Hendricks is an excellent help-side rim protector as he always knows when to slide over if one of his teammates gets beat. He blocks most of his shots this way, and he does so without fouling.

When protecting the rim and playing help defense, he displays great timing. He knows exactly when to jump to block the shot, and players often don't even see him as he soars through the air for the block.

Hendricks also plays excellent defense in transition. He isn't afraid of getting dunked on as he contests everything and even can stop two-on-one fast breaks by himself. He's the type of player that takes pride in playing solid defense and shutting down opponents.

Hendricks also thrives in pick-and-roll defense. He has the defensive versatility, footwork, and I.Q. to switch onto guards at a high level. Hendricks rarely gets blown by, and once he switches onto a guard, he plays with full confidence and has the mentality that he won't get by him. He often blocks shots from guards when they try to shoot pull-up jumpers on him, as he has solid length and elite athleticism to disrupt the shot.

Hendricks has a high motor and his energy and desire to play defense is something that will tremendously benefit the team that drafts him. He will come into the league and immediately be able to guard multiple positions.

2. Offensive versatility

Hendricks is one of the most offensively versatile players in this year's draft and would plug in perfectly into Dallas' offense.

He showed flashes that he can be a reliable player in the pick-and-roll as he is athletic and has good hands to catch dump-off passes or alley-oops. He also has the 3-point shooting to be elite in the pick-and-pop as he is confident off the catch and shoots well over closing-out defenders.

Hendricks also showed signs of development in his game off the dribble throughout the season. When he catches the ball inside the arc, he typically turns and faces to either shoot a mid-range jumper over his defender or put the ball on the ground and drive to the bucket to finish above the rim. He takes advantage of mismatches often and slower forwards struggle to stay with him.

One final aspect of Hendricks' offensive versatility that makes him deadly is his passing. Hendricks is an excellent passer out of the low post as he doesn't force any shots around the bucket and always has his head up.

He often commands the attention of the help defender which allows him to find his teammate on backdoor cuts for easy layups. Hendricks also doesn't hesitate to make an extra pass on the perimeter to find a shooter that has a better shot than he does.

He's the type of player that could develop into an efficient three-level scorer at the next level.

Taylor Hendricks' weakness

Taylor Hendricks is a strong two-way player but does have one issue in his offensive game that may need addressing.

1. Ball handling

Although Hendricks is solid off the dribble against slower forwards, his ball handling needs some work. He has probably played as a big man his entire life and is just now getting a feel for regularly handling the ball, which is understandable.

Once he gets to the NBA, he will probably start with the role of being a floor spacer that can occasionally take slower forwards off the dribble, which is perfect for him. He won't be able to use his athleticism to blow by as many defenders as he did in college because the NBA is filled with dynamic athletes like him.

This weakness won't hinder his game tremendously, but it will prevent him from being a go-to scorer in isolation as his bag of moves is limited. Expect whatever team lands him to make this a focus of development for the 19-year-old forward.

Taylor Hendricks' fit on the Dallas Mavericks

Taylor Hendricks would fit fantastically in the Mavericks' system immediately and his strengths of defense and offensive versatility would be utilized to their fullest potential. He would be excellent in the pick-and-roll with Luka Doncic as he is a high-flyer that can finish at the rim or pop outside and shoot a catch-and-shoot three.

His ability to be a two-way player is something that Dallas desperately needs at the power forward position. Dallas hasn't had a defensive stopper at the four or five in multiple seasons, and Hendricks would happily accept that role.

He's the type of player that could come in and play significant minutes right away for this team. Hendricks would bring effort into crashing the glass and playing solid defense on the league's best wings and forwards.

Hendricks would come in and arguably be the best rim protector on the team immediately. He's that good. If Hendricks is available at the tenth pick, the Dallas Mavericks should definitely consider bringing him in. He would be a glue guy on this team and fill the holes that they must address this summer.

Taylor Hendricks could be a dream come true for Nico Harrison and this Mavericks team. Stay tuned to see if Dallas brings him in to help bolster their frontcourt in the 2023 NBA Draft.