Things were not sugarcoated for Keyonte George at the end of last season.
“My exit interview was, it was pretty blunt,” George said."
In a departure meeting with Utah Jazz brass and head coach Will Hardy, George was told matter-of-factly that he has to show growth with his approach, his attitude and his game. The flaws to how he played last season were obvious — he was one of the worst defenders in the league, he was inefficient, often making decisions that were beneficial for him but not the team and lashing out when he felt slighted.
Over the last couple of years, George has talked about what he deserves and the respect he wants to garner in the NBA, but these words have sounded empty and often arrogant considering his position and performance.
In the Jazz’s opening night winner against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night though, there was a different George. He was measured and patient, and he focused his efforts toward being a bridge between an action and his teammates’ success.
“It’s about putting the ball in our playmakers’ hands, whether it’s Lauri (Markkanen) or Walker (Kessler) or Brice (Sensabaugh) or anybody,” George said after the game.
“Giving the ball in the space — I mean, you seen today giving the ball to Lauri in space, in transition, he’s a monster — finding our shooters, because then that’s able to loosen the defense, and then that’s when I can go get a layup every now and then and make an open shot."
Yes! This is the approach. This is the way George has needed to see the game, and his efforts were rewarded on Wednesday. He finished out the night with 16 points, nine assists and two steals, and even though he struggled to shoot from distance, he wasn’t forcing the issue.
He had four assists before he even took a shot.
During training camp, members of the Jazz front office and the coaching staff often pointed out how good of an offseason George had, and they said that he’d really taken some steps in the right direction.
On media day, George himself said that this season he wanted to focus on “we instead of me.” That’s all great to hear, but it needs to be seen in practice. George’s performance on opening night was a glimpse into what the future could be if George continued to play the right way.
But we’ve seen flashes of this before.
George’s skill and potential are not unknowns. He’s a gifted athlete and an incredibly capable NBA guard. Too often, he has gotten in his own way. The hope is that what we saw against the Clippers is not an anomaly and that George does not revert back to bad habits, because how he chooses to move forward could be the difference between a long and successful NBA career and one that is cut short early.