Utah Jazz rookie guard Keyonte George has gone through the typical roller coaster experience of a first-year player. Selected 16th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, George earned All-Tournament First Team honors in Summer League play. He played with more polish than he had shown as a one-and-done at Baylor.
George subsequently entered the 2023-24 season with high expectations, positioned for a spot in the starting lineup. Yet, George struggled early on. After the first 20 games of the season, he was shooting 34.7 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from 3.
Showing resiliency after underperforming at the beginning of the season, George has come on strong as of late. Since the All-Star Break, he’s averaged 18.5 points and 5.0 assists per game, numbers that rank third and second on the Jazz respectively. He has seen significant improvements in his efficiency, shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 38.0 percent from 3.
Will Hardy Praises Keyonte George’s Potential
Following a victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, Jazz head coach Will Hardy praised the young guard’s recent play. More than that even, Hardy touted Georges’s potential with rare transparency about how Utah hopes his career pans out.
“Keyonte (has) the opportunity to become a real star in this league,” says Hardy, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.
“There’s a lot of pressure when you’re the No. 1 guy.” Hardy continues. “Like, you’re driving to the gym and you’re thinking ‘If I don’t play well, we won’t win.’ Role players don’t always necessarily have that burden in their brain before a game and so these opportunities for Keyonte to be the quote-unquote No. 1 guy for us are imperative for his development.”
The Jazz’s No. 1 option is 26-year-old Lauri Markkanen, who averages a team-high 23.1 points per game. However, George has shown enough to be in consideration for his sidekick. Really, with the way the game is played and his play in the clutch, he very well could end up being the No. 1 option down the line.
The Jazz have a proud history regarding their guard play. Whether it was Pete Maravich or Deron Williams, they’ve long captivated fans across the nation. Already becoming a remarkable marksman from beyond the arc, George could be the latest in the long line of great Jazz guards as he develops his awareness and ability on both ends.
To Hardy’s point, George is getting every opportunity to do so with several members of the rotation out, including Markkanen. Rising star Collin Sexton has been the team’s leading scorer since the All-Star Break. Averaging 20.5 points per game on 48.8 percent shooting from the field and 46.0 percent shooting from 3, Sexton has come into his own as well. However, George appears to be the favored among the two, with him having a team-high usage rate of 25.5 percent.
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