Keyonte George: The NBA’s Most Underrated Rookie?

Utah’s point guard is making loud strides as the season continues.

A touted prospect since his high school days at IMG Academy, Keyonte George has been in the national eye for years now. He was ranked seventh amongst the Class Of 2022 coming out of high school before beginning his college play at Baylor. 

The nation’s champions two years prior, George stepped in and served as the second-leading scorer for the Bears. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 37.6% from the field and 33.8% from beyond the arc. These percentages tell a lot of the story behind George’s draft stock. While his flashes of shotmaking and off-the-dribble creation were enticing, and he won Big 12 Rookie Of The Year as well earning an All-Big 12 nod, he wasn’t able to put it all together to be efficient.

However, some of the context behind these low percentages may have been lost as George slipped to the Utah Jazz with the No. 16 overall pick. George filled a tough role for Baylor in the grueling Big 12 conference. He played alongside two other high-volume ball handling-guards in Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer. 

Additionally, George flaunted the ultimate green light. He didn’t make a high rate of his shot attempts, but that’s because of the extreme difficulty of them. Many of his near-seven 3-point attempts per game were heavily contested or from well beyond the arc. At the NBA level, he’s cleaned up his shot selection, and as a result is shooting just under 36% from deep.

Also, George noticeably lost some weight after the end of his freshman season. He came out in summer league moving much quicker at his lower weight.

With these adjustments, George has had a very positive season. He’s averaging 12.8 points, 4.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game on the season. He’s had a lot more room to explore and improve as a passer. In his last 11 games in particular, George has taken his play to another level. Over this stretch, he’s averaged 19.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on 58.5% True Shooting.

With his play as of late, George is showcasing star potential while making a strong case for the All-Rookie First Team.

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