Jazz finally fill the Deron Williams void more than 10 years later

For the Utah Jazz, Deron Williams feels way in the past. It's been almost 15 years since they parted ways with him, and while the team had its good years without him, they haven't really had a player who aptly filled the void left by him. However, that might not be the case anymore, as it looks like Keyonte George could be their next franchise point guard and first since D-Will.

Since the Williams trade, the Jazz have featured notable point guards over the years, including Devin Harris, George Hill, Ricky Rubio, and Mike Conley. However, for all the qualities that those four brought, none of them ever played at the level of a franchise player at the point like Williams did.

Now, George hasn't necessarily ascended to prime Williams yet, but his play this year has been so exciting because it's so reminiscent of how Williams made himself stand out. Between his improved playmaking and his ability to draw free throws, George may not necessarily be D-Will 2.0, but he may be close to it.

Other numbers only further show just how good George has been this season.

But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. George has a ways to go before he reaches the bar set by Williams. Let's be real, though. Comparing those two would have been laughable at the start of the season, and now, George reaching Williams' level is attainable.

No, this isn't a shot at Donovan Mitchell

Some may read into the fact that Mitchell's name wasn't mentioned here as a shot at him. Let's clear the air before anything gets misinterpreted. Mitchell is one of the best scorers in Jazz history and currently one of the NBA's most lethal scorers. He does not and never has fit the mold as a classic point guard, though. Mitchell was more of a combo guard.

The elite scoring and the solid playmaking aren't to be denied, but the most assists Mitchell has ever averaged over the course of a season is 6.1, and he typically averages between four and five. When he was a Jazzman, they always put him next to a quality point guard, like Rubio first and Conley second. Even in Cleveland, he is surrounded by players like Darius Garland and Lonzo Ball to handle the playmaking.

Mitchell is a score-first player, and always has been, which is what makes him awesome. George has definitely shown he, too, can score at will when he's on his game; the key difference is how good he is as a playmaker while doing so. That's why Williams is the Jazz legend he gets compared to, not Mitchell.

There's plenty of season left, so this take looks a little outlandish and may appear more so as the season goes on should George decline. If he doesn't, and in fact, goes further, Utah would be gleeful to know the Jazz have a modern D-Will on the team.