This forgotten Jazz youngster may be in for a monster season

Towards the end of last season, Kyle Filipowski and Brice Sensabaugh were the most exciting young players on the Utah Jazz. At the start of this preseason, Ace Bailey was the Jazz’s hottest prospect. While that’s still true, their exciting play has overshadowed the fact that Keyonte George looks like he’s primed for a breakthrough this season.

George has been forgotten among Jazz fans after his disappointing sophomore season, which was further marred by reports that he wasn’t exactly the best teammate. However, a surprising story emerged that showed George orchestrating social activities with his teammates, showing that he wanted to be more of a leader.

Hoping to become a better leader is one thing, but George has also had a great preseason. Utah has started him in every game, which seems pretty indicative of his chances of becoming a starter again. He didn’t fail when Utah asked him to.

George’s scoring won’t necessarily stand out (14.3 points per game), but his efficiency will (51.2% overall). However, George’s all-around play has been what stood out, as he has had games with near double-doubles, either due to assists or rebounds to match his scoring. He has also shown much more activity defensively.

Most of all, he looks like he’s gotten much better at picking his spots. He still takes his ugly shots, but as long as they go in, no one will complain.

If George makes the move the Jazz thought he would last season, he’ll give them another good reason to believe in what the team is building for the long term. But as good as his performances have been overall, there’s something else fans should keep in mind.

The only problem with George’s preseason performance

As much as you hate to play devil’s advocate at a time like this, Jazz fans should keep in mind that George also looked pretty good last season, further fueling the narrative that he would take a step forward.

Narrator: He didn’t.

It played a role in why the Jazz season was as disappointing as last year, even if they didn’t have high expectations to begin with. They say better late than never, so while Utah hoped George would become a better version of himself last year, it’s now a giant step forward for their progress as a whole.

The real challenge remains the same: do it when it really matters.