Keyonte George has never had trouble scoring the ball.
That side of the games comes naturally, and it’s what made him a standout in high school, got him recruited and made him an effective and dangerous player in his lone collegiate season at Baylor. It’s what got him to the NBA. His skill on the offense is not a concern.
After missing nine of 12 games and then returning to action for the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, George scored 26 points to go with six assists, proving that even after an extended absence he can get right back into groove with ease.
But on defense, it’s not as natural.
“He needs to improve a lot on the defensive side of the ball, and he knows that,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said after Wednesday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets. “I do think that him playing off the ball tonight a lot helped him, because there’s so much mental energy used up when you’re on the ball a lot, especially when it’s a position that you’re not used to playing. And I know Keyonte is in his second year, but it’s his second year ever of playing point guard, and it’s doing it in the best league in the world.”
Through George’s rookie season and in the early part of the 2024-25 season, the Jazz used him primarily as a point guard, which, as Hardy pointed out, has been George’s first foray into being a lead facilitator.
That experiment hasn’t been completely smooth sailing, with George learning a completely new dynamic on the basketball court, where decision making is the top priority.
Turnovers have been an issue and defensive intensity has been lacking.
But having rookie Isaiah Collier take over more of the traditional point guard responsibilities lately gives George a chance to work as more of a shooting guard, which Hardy hopes will allow him to put more of his energy into his defense.
“I’m never going to let Keyonte off the hook,” Hardy said. “For him to be who he wants to be, for him to be who he’s capable of being, he has to elevate himself on that side of the ball. And I think that physically he’s capable. There are some guys you come across where there are real physical limitations. I don’t think that Keyonte has those.”
Previous coaching is probably partially to blame for George’s defensive game not being as dialed in as his offensive game.
That’s not to say that he played for bad coaches. It’s just that his ability to score at all three levels on the court was so valuable that he has never needed to dominate on the other end.
But Hardy has explained in really honest terms that if George wants to eventually play playoff basketball, he can not hide on the defensive end. That is the stage where NBA players’ weaknesses are exposed.
“He wants the best out of me,” George said. “I think I’ve made a jump on that end, but I can honestly say I have more in the tank on that side ... just grateful that he’s challenging me. I think it’s the first time that a coach that I’ve had has really been on my bumper about that side of the ball.”
It’s still so early in George’s career, and the Jazz are willing to invest time and patience in seeing what his ultimate potential can be.
But there’s no way around the fact that in order to survive and stay on the floor and earn legitimate minutes for a postseason-bound team, George is going to have to improve defensively.
“He needs to continue to hone his technique on the defensive side of the ball and some of the attention to detail,” Hardy said. “But I will say that Keyonte and I have had a lot of very honest conversations. He doesn’t shy away from being coached. He doesn’t make excuses, he doesn’t point the finger, he takes the responsibility for his play, which is the first step to being able to improve. Keyonte has improved a lot of things since he first started with us last year, and this is one that I think that he’s fully capable of improving also.”