LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 08: Keyonte George #3 of Utah Jazz reacts to hitting a three point basket against the LA Clippers during the fourth quarter of a 2023 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 08, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
Early reports from Utah Jazz camp seem high on Keyonte George
Keyonte George is seemingly carrying over his star-making potential from the Summer League to the Utah Jazz’s training camp.
Keyonte George is the man among rookies right now, at least that’s the word going around the Utah Jazz’s training camp. The team is currently out in Laie, Hawaii, training at the BYU-Hawaiian campus currently. They’re getting reps in among the fans and apparently, of all the players going at it, it’s George who is taking the spotlight.
Sarah Todd of Desert News.com is reporting that George is among the highlights of the training camp so far. Apparently, George is faster than anyone really had an idea about and is burning up the Jazz’s defense in scrimmages.
Sure, the Jazz doesn’t have a lot of good perimeter defenders, but still, it’s impressive to hear. Todd goes on to write;
What if there is already a sense from talking to the Jazz players that George is going to be even more exciting this season than we saw during Summer League?
…That’s the word coming out of Jazz training camp this week. Keyonte George is the real deal.
During scrimmages he’s blown past the defense and shown a real ability to finish with finesse through traffic. When the team is told to run, he’s the first one down the court and back. He’s a lot faster than you think he’s going to be.
And while that’s all well and good, George isn’t without his issues. At Baylor, George had more turnovers per game than assists, and if he wants to win the starting point guard job with the Utah Jazz, that’s going to have to be something that changes. And as Clark writes, fellow guards Kris Dunn and Jordan Clarkson have praised his passing skills;
Kris Dunn and Jordan Clarkson have both left the gym this week praising the rookie’s performance and by all accounts, there’s more to come.
All things being even, George should likely come off the bench to begin his NBA career. At least until we know he can pass better than he did in college. That explosion of speed, however, will come in very handy during games, especially with Walker Kessler and Kris Dunn on the court.
Those two may cause a lot of bad plays to happen for opposing offenses and having a guard who can just sprint past everyone for an easy layup or dunk in transition is the kind of thing everyone hopes for.
