Keyonte George 'Major Reason' for Jazz's Early Season Struggles

The Utah Jazz second-year guard hasn't had it easy to start this year.

Oct 29, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

When turning the clock back to the 2023-24 NBA campaign for the Utah Jazz, one of the most appealing pieces as a part of their young roster was then-rookie Keyonte George.

After entering into the fold last summer as the team's 16th-overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Baylor product burst onto the scene as a critical component of this team's slow-brewing rebuilding process and showed off some considerable flashes showing he could soon become the future point guard for the Jazz.

However, when you fast forward to the start of George's second year pro this season, things have yet to go as smoothly as they once did for the young guard.

George has begun this season as a day one starter as opposed to how he kicked off last season, and so far, it's been his offensive woes which have stuck out like a sore thumb. In six games, the 20-year-old has averaged 13.7 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.7 assists, yet has had some efficiency concerns as he's shot 30.3% from the field, 23.5% from deep, and allowing 3.7 turnovers in the process.

It's George's recent struggles that HoopsHype and Mike Shearer pointed out in their latest edition of NBA power rankings. The Jazz found themselves ranked dead-last in the league at 30th, with Shearer also diving a bit into what he's seen from Utah's sophomore guard:

"Keyonte George has been a major reason for Utah’s problems," Shearer said, "They’re determined to forge the second-year point guard in fire, so he’s being thrust into the flames over and over again. It’s hard to have a functioning offense when your leading shot-taker has an effective field goal percentage of 37.1 percent. All those clanks also kickstart the opposing teams’ transition games, forcing Utah’s already terrible defense on their heels. The Jazz might be better off letting George carry a smaller burden for a while as he develops."

It's not uncommon to see young, ball-dominant point guards have some ups-and-downs in their progression into becoming effective contributors to winning and efficient basketball. Especially in the case of George, who's currently placed in the middle of a transition from being an off-ball two guard to Utah's primary ball handler and facilitator, the trajectory for his success isn't always linear.

But the current situation in Utah is a perfect one for George to get his offensive worries ironed out. The Jazz are clearly a few steps away from win-now mode, effectively allowing their young talent to shine and show out with extended playing time and roles on both sides of the floor. Even if the shot isn't falling for George, the panic meter still remains low concerning his future.

Thankfully for George, a long season lies ahead for him and the Jazz, providing an extensive opportunity for improvement and developing into his role as an effective NBA-level point guard.

George's next chance to get back to form will come on Monday, as the Jazz travel to United Center to face off against the Chicago Bulls at 6:30 MT.

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