THIS WOULD BE EASILY UNDERSTANDABLE if your attention wasn’t on Utah’s Keyonte George at the moment. Lauri Markkanen just assaulted Phoenix for a career-high 51 points on Monday and appears to be back in All-Star form (who could have predicted?). The Jazz, in turn, have seemingly abandoned all plans for their residency at the bottom of the NBA standings, and have instead delicately and deliberately placed each of their eggs in the woven basket labeled “winning time.” Through three games, this team has a winning record, and its only loss came in the form of a one-point deficit in Sacramento.
Meanwhile, Walker Kessler’s contract status and future with the team looms, and the defensive specialist Has yet to miss a single shot this year – both inside and outside the three-point arc (odious). Brice Sensabaugh has established himself as a silky composer, orchestrating the shifting symphony with a rhythm and finesse that encapsulates the essence of jazz more than any Utah musician in recent memory. Ace Bailey’s illness has us wondering if his preseason delights were a one-time offering from his NBA basketball oven (but probably not, right? RIGHT?).
In case you haven’t noticed, Keyonte George has been Capital-A Awesome.
See, just like that, we’ve already forgotten that this article was about Keyonte. Call it the early season whirlwind. Blame it on overreactions and small sample size. Make as many statements as you want, but I’d like to draw attention to Utah’s third-year point guard out of Baylor and keep him there for a while. Because, in case you haven’t noticed, Keyonte George has been Capital-A Awesome early in the season.
Keyonte George statistics over 3 matches:
20.0 points
9.7 assists (drooling all over my keyboard about this)
69.6% 2PT
18.2% 3PT (work to be done)
94.7% FT
3.0 rebounds
1.0 flights
3.7 turnovers
Keyonte’s role with the Jazz has been a difficult adjustment for a player who grew up being a guy who prioritizes scoring. In high school at IMG Academy and in college under Scott Drew’s Baylor program, he was handed the ball for one reason and one reason only: to put the ball in the basket.
And he was good. He accumulated 15.2 points per competition as a freshman and received accolades after accolades. All-Big 12, Conference Rookie of the Year and All-Freshman team (obviously) were stars stuck on Key’s “good noodle” chart in large part due to his propensity to fill up the points column. But here’s the thing: He wasn’t effective, which caused him to slide on draft night. With 33.8% three-point shooting and 33.7% from the field completely (don’t calculate), his potential as a scorer should be limited to complementary ability. Maybe a sixth man on the bench who might be good for a heat check every few games?
Utah’s front office has seen all of this and has Keyonte’s downsides in its primary toolbox. But beneath the surface, the Jazz gambled on playing advantage. Yeah, playing advantage for a player who averaged more turnovers than assists in his single year in college is rich (that’s a view I discourage you from clinging to).
George has had his share of detractors during his two full seasons of NBA action, of course, and even now, in his third year, many still consider him doomed to stumble to the bench once the Jazz can draft a suitable point guard to make a playoff push. This year, however, there is something different about Keyonte. Call it the “eye test,” or maybe it’s just the way he’s performed on and off the court, but there’s something completely different about Utah’s 22-year-old point guard entering the 2025-26 season, and it shows on the stat sheet.
His playmaking skills are amazing this year, totaling almost ten cents per contest. Will Hardy is asking Keyonte to run the offense 35 minutes a night this year, and with that, he’s sprinkled the sugar in every way.
With the ball in his hands, George played with spring. He is perpetually ready to head in any direction, and tight control of his dribbling allows him to penetrate the defense and swirl the opposition in any way he sees fit. A crossover, a drop step, a rocket launch past the first line of resistance forces a rotation, that rotation moves the entire defense, and suddenly possession is putty in Keyonte’s hand. The master craftsman will shape this offensive ensemble into the shape he wishes; do not resist.
Possession is putty in Keyonte’s hands. The master craftsman will shape this offensive ensemble into the shape he wishes; do not resist.
I fell in love with his one-legged runner. Once he cleared the defensive exterior wall, Keyonte found refuge about 7 to 10 feet from the edge, where he will rise and hang on to kiss the rock on the glass and in the woven nylon. This is a reliable, repeatable attempt for a guard whose mass tends to be overshadowed among giants near the paint, forcing rim protection to make a decision. This dilemma forces his opponents to choose: take their chances with this shot or let their mission be fought over. Either decision can be deadly for a defense – 20 points and 9.7 assists per game, remember – and he reaped that early in the season.
There is a patience – a maturity – that was lacking in his rookie and sophomore campaigns. It’s not day and night; we’ve seen flashes and moments of this type of output from George in recent years and in various capacities. But his progress is undeniable. He gets to the foul line for easy points – easy points that he takes more than 95% of the time. He takes pictures in rhythm (with a few intestinal chucks sprinkled in that I’d like to see eviscerated from his appetite). He involves his teammates. He makes good basketball decisions and does so at a reliable pace.
Just take a look at the go-ahead basket in the last game against Phoenix. George walks around the Kessler screen and pulls on the reins to assess his switch. Grayson Allen places his shoulders in front of the ball carrier. The corner of Keyonte’s mouth lifts as confidence shines in his eyes. Markkanen (Mr. 50-ball himself) wraps around an off-ball wall and rushes toward the lane. The Suns are absorbed by the gravity of the approaching star, and Keyonte plays the role of the comet, throwing his swing against the flow and locking his hips in front of the helpless defender. Help arrives, but a moment too late. Basketball at the backboard. Dashboard panel. Poetry in sneakers.
(Skip to 1:45 in the embedded video to see the final bucket)
Still, there is some lingering sourness behind the stat line. His turnovers, alongside the increase in assists, are alarming. Tied for 10th in the NBA with 3.7 coughs, Keyonte’s tendency to cough up possession is a metric to watch. Although his increasing number of assists makes us wonder, an attack can only work if he maintains possession. Still, the season is young and Keyonte’s giveaway average is marginal compared to some of the league’s admittedly prestigious giveaways. Stephon Castle (6.7), Devin Booker (6.0) and Cade Cunningham (5.7) have been even more careless with the basketball, and each of these top three leaders is universally recognized as being an excellent offensive player.
Even on defense, a realm of dampened Keyonte power, flying blocking attempts, timely steals and a healthy habit of – what’s the word – effort have been refreshing to see, even if he will never become an all-world stopper on the perimeter.
However, in just three regular season games, Keyonte’s deficiencies appeared more as a side effect of increased production than symptoms of inadequacy. Once his three-point percentage returns to average (as I think it should), there won’t be many holes in his armor to dig into and pretend he hasn’t improved. Almost across the board, this point guard is a true NBA producer, and a damn good one at that.
Keyonte’s shortcomings emerged more as a side effect of increased production than as symptoms of inadequacy.
A recent clip from the locker room suggests his improvement isn’t all about reps in the gym. The mental game took hold of the Utah kid, and he progressed on the way back.
“I feel like I’ve always had a good character, but the mental part of the game is a big part.” Georges released. “I think I really bought into that part. It helps to have [Kevin] Love right here next to me, who talked about all this. […] his comments really helped me.
“You hear about sports psychology, you hear about therapy, and a lot of people just say maybe they don’t need it. But for me, it’s been really good for me to talk to someone else who has no idea about me, doesn’t have an opinion about me – they just listen. I give them good things, bad things, and they just listen. […] Just knowing that someone else knows what I’m going through takes a weight off my shoulders. […] It feels so good to know that I can just go out here and play with a clear mind.
Keyonte George isn’t just improving on the field. It’s not just his stats, numbers, percentages, or other insignificant numbers that show he’s making progress. The Utah point guard is working on himself, his mind and his mentality as he approaches basketball. Kevin Love’s arrival in the locker room sparked a spirit of openness, honesty and growth with his teammates.
For Keyonte, in particular, his growth has been undeniable.
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart driver based in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and college sports since 2024.
