The Utah Jazz have seen rookie point guard Keyonte George come out shooting during the 2023-2024 season. The young guard has shown an explosiveness that's hard to find in the NBA, and a solid ability to read the court and distribute the ball. His shooting is suspect, as he can have impressive scoring games one night and absolutely terrible shooting nights the next.
He's very inconsistent but he is the best-producing rookie of the current threesome the Jazz has. Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh are struggling and despite George's inconsistencies, he's still outperforming his fellow rookies by leaps and bounds. But does that mean he's the team's starter going forward? Former Utah Jazz assistant coach Gordie Chiesa doesn't think so.
Chiesa spoke with the Billy Riley Show on ESPN 700 and went on to say (via Sports Illustrated) that George's future may be coming off the bench
"“No, not long-term, but I do like his game. I think if he plays for the Jazz, he’ll be a combination guard coming off the bench. I like his talent. Again, it’s who you play against. So always, just try to visualize. He's just 20 years old, but can he outplay Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the next 2-3 years long-term? Can he body up on Jamal Murray in the next 3-4 years? Can he outplay the other teams' starting point guards in the NBA?”"
The sad reality is that despite George's occasional success, the draft is a crapshoot. It's impossible to say for sure if someone is going to turn into a starter in this league, let alone a star, but a consistent shot usually goes a long way to someone finding a role beyond his rookie contract. Right now, what matters most, is that George hasn't shown a consistent enough offense to make up for his horrendous defense.
While some fans are all-in on George, despite not showing himself to be worth that all-in mentality, George should not be seen as all-important enough to not move him if the opportunity to land a big name emerges.
He does have potential, but as the old saying goes; potential just gets you fired at the end of the day. George has to be more efficient and more reliable if he's truly going to be sticking around.