After a rollercoaster season with the Baylor Bears, Keyonte George’s draft night went a little differently than some anticipated.
Prior to his late-season ankle injury that saw his split plummet, George was long-talked about as a top-10, or even top-five talent in the 2023 draft. His effortless scoring and potentially potent passing seemed an easy fit in the big leagues.
But on draft night, George slid to No. 16. and was taken by the Jazz with their second first round pick.
Now, halfway through his NBA rookie season, George is again turning heads.
In his last four games, George has scored 16.5 points, grabbed 4.8 rebounds and dished 2.3 assists while shooting 53% overall, 40% from beyond the arc and 89% from the line.
His highest scoring output was 21 on over 50% shooting against Brooklyn. And the streak was capped Sunday night with his first ever double-double: 19 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Milwaukee.
On the season, George’s season has been marred some by inefficiency — just 38% overall and 33% from 3-point land — but the base of a stellar future place is being set.
He’s scoring 11.2 points per game, good for fifth among Utah as a whole. His over two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio really pops as a former collegiate volume scorer. And while his defense hasn’t been perfect, his attentiveness and effort has been apparent.
In short, while there’s still plenty of work to do for all parties, the Jazz may have found themselves a longtime option in a draft that was already teeming with talent.
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