There’s some good news and some bad news on the Utah Jazz front.
The good news is that Keyonte George returned to the lineup on Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans for the first time since Feb. 7!
The bad news is that we are at the point in the season where the two-way guys are starting games.
So, it’s a bit of a mixed bag that Jazz fans are going to have to deal with as the doldrums of the season stretch on for another 22 games.
Keyonte George
It’s been a rough few weeks for the Jazz’s starting point guard, who started out the month of February with a sprained left ankle only to return to play on Feb. 7 and sprain his right ankle after just 13 minutes.
“To be completely honest, there was a little frustration,” George said. “I just love the game, these guys, the locker room and everybody on staff. They feel like family to me, so when I can’t give everything that I feel like I can give, I don’t know.
“I just didn’t know how to feel on game days...I didn’t know what to do with myself.”
George usually spends the majority of his free time watching basketball — reviewing tape of the Jazz or watching the rest of the teams across the NBA — but he didn’t want to drive himself crazy watching basketball and not being able to participate, so instead he’s been binging “Scandal.”
“Shout out Olivia Pope,” George said, referring to Kerry Washington’s character in the ABC drama.
On Saturday, George was limited to playing just 23 minutes and scored 17 points to go with four assists in the Jazz’s 115-105 loss to the Pelicans.
The minutes restriction (somewhere between 20 and 24, according to Jazz head coach Will Hardy), will probably last a little longer, but George said he’s feeling great and there was no soreness or issues in his return.
The end of the roster
Though George was back on the court, he was joined in the starting lineup by Ace Bailey, Kyle Filipowski, Cody Williams and two-way player Blake Hinson. Two way guard Elijah Harkless also played 28 minutes off the bench.
It’s a sign of where we are in the season, but there are silver linings, I promise. Teams don’t usually get to have such extended run from their two-way players in NBA games, so this opportunity is really great for these guys.
If not for the Oklahoma City Thunder giving Lu Dort the same opportunity when he was on a two-way deal, they may not have found an All-Defensive First Team starter for the championship squad.
“They’re understanding and continuing to form their NBA identity,” Hardy said of the two two-way players. “EJ is probably a little bit further along than Blake, just based on some opportunity, and his identity seems to be relatively clear in this moment.
“I think that Blake gives us some great spacing offensively, and I think when Blake plays off the catch, he’s been dangerous for us.”
With an eye on the future, these games will matter when determining who is deserving of more time under the same kind of deal, who maybe deserves to be converted to a standard deal and who is not worth the team’s time.