In Keyonte George's second season with the Utah Jazz, there were hardly any good things to say about him. In his third season with the Jazz, there have hardly been any bad things to say about him. Yes, he's improved dramatically since his disastrous sophomore season, but what hasn't gotten much attention is what led to his leap in maturity.
The Athletic's Fred Katz harped on this while delving into his two NBA All-Surprise Teams, of which George made his second one. Katz explained what has made George different this season.
"Once George gets a half-step advantage on his defender, he’s increasingly comfortable keeping that guy on his hip.
"He goes to the rim from there. Or inspires a helper to scramble over from the corner, which opens up a pass. He’s creating space, then proceeding with physicality and smarts.
"It’s why the scoring average has jumped from 16.8 to 23.6, why he’s making more shots, and why he gets to the free-throw line so much more.
"George’s game hasn’t just improved. It’s matured."
The highlighted part here is the bottom line for why George's ascension has been so special to watch in real time. There was a lot of hype about him going into Year 2 because of his talent, which is what made his ensuing performance not only disappointing but disheartening.
Year 3 has been different because his habits have become different.
George learned how to properly utilize his talents
Even before he took the leap, George had proven he could score and he could pass. What remained in question was whether he could master being a hybrid scorer/playmaker. Year 2 proved that if he would, he was going to need time, and Year 3 proved to be the exact time in which he turned it around.
It isn't like George got faster or really improved the physical aspects of his game. He simply got smarter about how to use them. The Jazz have had players who had the talent to be something extraordinary but never quite put it together, like Rodney Hood, which is why he didn't stick around.
George at first seemed like he was going to follow in Hood's footsteps once the 2024-25 season wrapped, but almost one year later, he's now one of the cornerstones on a team primed to take a major step in the right direction next season.
There were a lot of the questions about Utah's future last year, but George's maturity has played a huge role in silencing any doubt for what's to come.