Jazz make big change at point guard

The Jazz and coach Will Hardy made a notable lineup change on Saturday, inserting rookie Isaiah Collier at point guard and benching Keyonte George. As Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune notes, George had started every game since the middle of his rookie campaign last year.

George has endured a sophomore slump after a promising rookie year in which he earned All-Rookie Second Team honors. While his stats have generally risen, George hasn’t been able to elevate his teammates. Utah has won just 10 games after contending for a play-in spot last season.

George, the 16th pick of the 2023 draft, is averaging 16.2 points and 5.8 assists in 31.6 minutes but is shooting just 38.4 percent from the field. Collier, the 29th pick of last season’s draft, is more adept at pushing the pace and initiating the offense than George and has also played better on the defensive side.

However, Collier is more turnover-prone (2.6 in 21.3 minutes per game). He’s also struggled with his shooting (35.2 percent).

How long the switch lasts depends on the performance of Collier and the team’s fortunes with him as the floor leader. In his first start, he had eight points, eight assists and four turnovers in 33 minutes in a 22-point loss to Memphis. He also committed five fouls. He’s started 10 games, as George missed 10 games due to ankle and heel injuries.

George played the same number of minutes and contributed eight points and seven assists but had a miserable shooting night, going 3-of-15 from the field.