Keyonte

George

George scored 19 points, the most he has scored in a game since November 4, when he scored 33 in a win over the Bulls. He’s been more efficient in recent games, averaging 1.8 turnovers per game over the last two weeks and ranking just outside the top 100 in 9-cat formats. Utah begins a three-game Week 5 on Tuesday against the Lakers in Los Angeles.

Back in the lineup after sitting out Saturday’s win over San Antonio, George played 33 minutes without issue on Tuesday. He didn’t shoot well, but the ball control stats were encouraging. George finished with four assists and one turnover, with the latter number being the fewest for him since Utah’s opener (one vs. Memphis). Field-goal percentage and turnovers are the most significant reasons George is ranked outside the top 250 in 9-cat formats.

George will officially return after missing one game and being listed as probable. The 21-year-old will likely be reinserted into the starting lineup while Isaiah Collier returns to the bench. Now healthy, George should continue to see a lot of run as the team’s potential future at point guard.

George will reenter the fray after a one-game layoff. The second-year guard will likely slot back into the starting lineup as the team’s top assist man and move Isaiah Collier to the bench.

George has been downgraded from questionable to out, opening up a spot in the starting lineup. Patty Mills and Jordan Clarkson are possible replacements, with the latter offering a higher fantasy ceiling. George’s absence will also mean more shots for Collin Sexton.

George has not missed a game this season, but that could change on Saturday. The good news for Utah is that neither Collin Sexton nor Jordan Clarkson is on the initial injury report, and that could be the starting backcourt if George sits. Johnny Juzang and Patty Mills can absorb some of George’s minutes, but neither will be worth the streaming risk.

George did most of his work late in this game, scoring 21 of his 33 points after the break to help Utah secure their first win of the year. This was by far his best game of the year, as his second half points would’ve been enough for him to set a new season-high. The same field goal percentage issues that plagued him as a rookie have carried over into this season, so it was nice to see him play well in this game. They’ll head to Milwaukee for their next game on Thursday, where George will look to build off this performance.

Utah was on the wrong end of a blowout, but George did provide some positives with his performance. He was responsible for eight of Utah’s 24 assists and committed just two turnovers after racking up seven in Thursday’s loss to the Spurs. Developing into a starting point guard in the NBA isn’t easy, so George will have a lot of lean nights. The hope is that those bad nights are far less frequent as the season progresses.

Efficiency has been an issue for George in Utah’s first two games. In addition to shooting 7-of-30 from the field, the second-year point guard has been responsible for six turnovers (five on Friday). That comes with the territory for most young point guards, and the Jazz will give George every opportunity to show he can be the team’s point guard of the future.

George really struggled to knock down shots in this game, which limited his impact as the team’s starting point guard. His assist numbers were decent, and he was still able to score in double figures, but he simply can’t shoot as poorly from the field as he did in this game if Utah wants to be better than they were last season. There’s no reason to panic, since George is still a young point guard going up against a playoff team. He’ll look to bounce back against the Warriors in their next game on Friday.