Keyonte George scores 30 in Jazz win over Rockets

This is the version of Keyonte George that flashes every once in a while that makes you think there’s something more to uncover.

This is the version that you hope can continue in a consistent manner.

This is what the Utah Jazz want.

George, in 29 minutes off the bench, scored 30 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out six assists en route to the Jazz’s 124-115 win over the Houston Rockets Saturday night at home.

Beyond the basic box score, there are a few things that really stood out from George’s performance. First, he was able to take care of the ball (only committing one turnover) by making quick and smart decisions.

Second, one of George’s best skills and one that he has had since Day 1 is his ability to draw fouls on both sides of the ball.

Those two things are going to be immensely important for George as he tries to find real staying power in the NBA.

“They’re going to be big determining factors in whether he plays well or he doesn’t, on a night to night basis,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said.

“He does a good job of playing with angles, he does a good job of getting people leaning and then he plays in a straight line after it, and doesn’t let them get back in the play, but he and Isaiah (Collier), they are both young decision makers, and their ability to have nights where they take care of the ball collectively impacts our team in a massive way.”

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George took 10 free throws, four more than anyone else on the Jazz roster. He had off night from the free throw line, making just 5-of-10, but getting to the line, disrupting the defense and drawing fouls on the opposing players is incredibly beneficial to the entire team.

In addition to those two facets of his game, George showed some knowledge of the scouting report in a way that will make others around the league take notice of his decision making.

Rather than waiving off screens despite being guarded by a solid defender, George attacked weak defenders like Jeff Green and Jalen Green and used his length against other players in tight spaces.

“That’s Keyonte becoming more comfortable and more aware,” Hardy said. “I think sometimes in the NBA, the reality is they can score on anyone, like the guys are all that talented offensively, but understanding which matchups may be more favorable — and then when I get those matchups, what is my advantage?...That’s a part of decision making.

“There’s also the moments where you have to have the humility to say, ‘I have a matchup where I think I could score, but he has a better matchup over there.’”

Let’s not forget that there have been times that players on this Jazz team have ignored the reputations of the opposing players only to receive some harsh reminders from Hardy about the perils of going against the scout.

George made a couple of attempts to test the mettle of players like Amen Thompson but then got off the ball in time for the Jazz to make a secondary play.

All of these things are what the Jazz hold onto when they think about future potential for George. They like that he is able to show these things, but they want to see it consistently and they want to be sure that he is willing to continue the work and progress and commitment to his game, even if he is going to be coming off the bench.

On Saturday night against the Rockets, George made a great case for himself and for the Jazz to continue that investment in him.