Keyonte fever has only spread further this season. The Utah Jazz guard only recently turned 22 years old and he’s taken the leap that many thought he would. He’s been so good that he’s already drawing comparisons to esteemed jazz alumni like Deron Williams. They just kept coming, as George’s most recent composition was Tyrese Maxey.
Michael Pina made this comparison a few days ago during his appearance on “The Zach Lowe Show,” where he explained why he sees similarities between the two.
“It’s definitely a best-case scenario,” Pina said. “I was just looking at the numbers… he goes through these stretches where he’s just a blur and almost unguarded and he makes ridiculous shots off the dribble and gets where he wants and he reminds me of what Maxey was a few years ago, right before he won Most Improved Player.”
Lowe and Pina discussed how lofty this comparison is. It sets the bar high, but George’s play stood out so much that it’s not far-fetched to compare the two.
Maxey has become one of the top scoring guards in the NBA as his play has led to both MIP and an All-Star game appearance. If the 76ers become somewhat relevant midseason, he will likely become his second. George has had the look of an electric goalscorer, with his only Achilles heel being shooting inefficiency, but even that has improved.
They are similar player archetypes, and they were picked at similar spots in their respective NBA Drafts. They may not have similar career paths, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case.
George doesn’t have to be Maxey to be a home run for the Jazz
George wants to prove that he is truly a cornerstone of the Jazz’s future. He doesn’t have to copy Maxey’s career to do that, and he may never have to. All he has to do is prove how good he is in his own right, and he has proven that two months into this season.
In that time, George has not only shown how good he can be, but his poor performances have shown that he makes Utah much better when he can play well, and much worse when he isn’t. The season is no longer young enough to prove that he can maintain this level. However, it is still young enough for George to prove he can improve from here.
He has already shown improvement now that he has made his jump. His inconsistent shooting, which plagued him his first two years in the league, has finally become consistent. Since November 18, George has averaged over 25 points per game while shooting 48.6% from the field and 43% from three per game. NBA.com.
In a season where he’s already shown Utah they have every reason to believe in him, he’s somehow given them more reasons and has the potential to add to them. If it culminates in him turning into Maxey 2.0, then this was as perfect a season as he and the Jazz could have expected.
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