One of the most important things a franchise can do is take upside swings in the NBA Draft. Sure, that doesn’t apply to every team, as some target NBA-ready prospects in hopes of immediate returns. But one of the only ways to add All-Stars is by taking gambles on talented prospects. Not every team has the luxury of adding them through free agency. With that in mind, it isn’t hard to see why teams love UCF forward Taylor Hendricks, who has a great combination of star potential and pro-ready tools. 

In his lone season in Orlando, Hendricks averaged 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game for the Knights. The forward also shot 47.8% from the floor and 39.4% from the outside. Some of those numbers put Hendricks in remarkable company. Since 92-93, only five other players have averaged at least 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game as freshman, while also shooting at least 39.0% from deep. That’s a list of players that includes Kevin Durant, Joe Smith, Chris Bosh, Paul Millsap and Bol Bol.

Hendricks’ jumper is probably the best place to start when analyzing his game. At 6-foot-8, with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, the 19-year-old is going to be able to get off shots whenever he wants. That should allow him to turn into a very impactful pick-and-pop big very early in his career. That’s one of the many reasons people have compared him to players like Serge Ibaka and Channing Frye, who were both lethal shooters in their primes. However, the reason those comparisons don’t do Hendricks justice is because he’s also an elite athlete, and he’s one that happens to have a little more wiggle to his game.

Ibaka was also an incredibly athletic player, which is why he was one of the NBA’s best shot blockers when he was at his best. But Ibaka was a classic power forward and doubled as a small-ball center. While Hendricks will provide his teams with size, he has a bit more of a perimeter-oriented skill set. At UCF, he was a nightmare for opponents to guard in face-up situations, as he has a killer jab step and loves to shoot pull-up jumpers. He’s also capable of getting all the way to the cup, but his handle will need to improve for him to consistently do it in the pros.

Hendricks also happens to be a terror in transition. He has a lot of bounce as a leaper and he’s a tremendous finisher at the rim. That’s going to make Hendricks a threat to score a lot of easy buckets in the NBA. On top of that, Hendricks does a lot of little things that make him more dangerous offensively. He always seems to find empty spots on the court where he can become a threat to score in the paint. And Hendricks is also a clever screener, which is something that makes it even harder for defenses to defend him. Not only is he a scary pick-and-pop threat, but he’ll slip to the basket and dunk when you least expect it.

In addition to everything Hendricks can do offensively, the forward is also outstanding defensively. He doesn’t just block a lot of shots because of his impressive length. Hendricks has great timing on the defensive end, and very good situational awareness on that end of the floor. Because of that, Hendricks is the rare shot blocker that never really finds himself in foul trouble. Hendricks also has impressive foot speed out on the perimeter, which is why it isn’t difficult to envision him regularly defending wings. I’m not quite sure he’ll be able to go out and defend some of the NBA’s best guards, but he shouldn’t really be asked to either.

If there’s one thing to worry about with Hendricks it’s that he’s largely unproven against better competition. While it was commendable for him to play his college ball at UCF, it would have been nice to see him playing against blue bloods a little more often. But it’s not like Hendricks came out of nowhere to become what he is now. He was a highly regarded four-star recruit coming out of high school, and everybody was aware of his talent. So, everything he does should translate nicely to the pros. And he did have a pair of decent outings against Houston, which was the top team in college basketball for most of this season.

Outside of the top few prospects in this draft, it’s just hard to see many other players having the long-term upside of Hendricks. If he’s able to continue improving his handle, he should turn into a more dangerous shot creator. And if that happens, Hendricks just might become a borderline max player at some point down the road. When you combine that with the fact that his pick-and-pop ability and shot blocking prowess already give him a high floor, this is a player that should really excite basketball fans. He’s easily a top-10 prospect in this draft, and I genuinely wouldn’t blame any franchise that likes him more than any prospects beyond Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson.