Sources: Jazz's Hendricks to miss rest of season due to torn ACL

Backup center expected to undergo surgery next week

Injury is a major blow to Jazz's playoff hopes

Utah Jazz backup center Udoka Azubuike will miss the rest of the season due to a torn ACL, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Azubuike is expected to undergo surgery next week.

The injury is a major blow to the Jazz's playoff hopes. Azubuike has been a key part of Utah's rotation this season, averaging 10.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He has also been a strong defender, ranking among the league leaders in blocks per game.

The Jazz are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference with a record of 29-27. They are just 1.5 games out of fourth place, which would give them home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

With Azubuike out, the Jazz will likely turn to Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside to fill the void at center. Gobert is one of the best defenders in the league, but he is not as good of a scorer as Azubuike.

Whiteside is a more offensively skilled player than Gobert, but he is not as good of a defender. The Jazz will need to find a way to replace Azubuike's production on both ends of the floor if they want to make a deep playoff run.