The Utah Jazz turned a lot of heads this weekend.<\/p>\n
In what was undoubtedly their most surprising move this season, 2023 No. 16 pick Keyonte George<\/a> was relegated to the bench in favor of 2024 No. 29 pick Isaiah Collier<\/a>. There was no prior indication that Jazz head coach Will Hardy would make such a decision. In fact, up until Saturday, George had started in every game he had played since Feb. 12, 2024.<\/p>\n Yet, the switch was a long time coming.<\/p>\n After George erupted for 33 points in a showdown with the Golden State Warriors last February, tying the NBA single-game rookie record with nine three-pointers, he was treated like the golden child. Though Lauri Markkanen<\/a> was still the face of the franchise, people were fascinated by George’s effortless stroke and passing ability. Hardy even showered him with praise, telling reporters he believes the young guard has star potential<\/a>.<\/p>\n Who could really blame him? At the time, George was on a heater, averaging 19.8 points and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from three in an 11-game stretch. He seemed to be a more natural facilitator than Collin Sexton<\/a> and a more dependable outside threat than Jordan Clarkson<\/a>, making him the best of both worlds.<\/p>\n There was plenty of fool’s gold in George’s game.<\/p>\n Brimming with confidence, his shot-selection and decision-making left a lot to be desired. He dribbled the air out the ball while waiting to run a play, leaving the Jazz with few precious seconds to get off a good shot. In the last 17 games of 2023-24, his numbers dived off the springboard. He averaged 14.6 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.8 turnovers per game, shooting 36.3 percent from the floor and 24.8 percent from three.<\/p>\n Entering 2024-25, the Jazz still saw George as a franchise cornerstone. Unfortunately, he was still plagued by many of the issues he displayed as a rookie. For those that watched him ripping up the runway in Summer League, it was a head-scratcher. However, those exhibitions in Las Vegas can be often little more than glorified pick-up games.<\/p>\n The real battles don’t start until October.<\/p>\n In the first 15 games of the season, George was averaging 15.2 points and 5.5 assists per game, converting 36.3 percent of his field goal attempts and 31.9 percent of his three-point attempts. He did cut down on his turnovers, averaging 2.8 per game during that stretch. Unfortunately, he became increasingly reckless with his passes, averaging 3.9 over his next 14 games. Strangely, he did find his touch beyond the arc at that time, knocking down 38.6 percent of his threes.<\/p>\n Therein lies the crux of the issue with George, who’s averaging 19.6 points, 6.6 assists, and 0.8 turnovers per game over his last five contests, yet shooting 34.1 percent from the field and 28.3 percent from deep.<\/p>\n He’s unpredictable. Too unpredictable to be a starter. It’s too early to pigeonhole him into a role. Nevertheless, his combination of inconsistency, potential, and impact is what epitomizes a sixth man.<\/p>\n That’s what makes his demotion logical. It’s even more important because Hardy has fawned over George for quite some time. So much so that he was being graded on a different scale than his teammates. It seemed like no matter what mistakes George made, Hardy would leave him out there.<\/p>\nJazz’s Point Guard Decision A Long Time Coming<\/h2>\n
Golden Child Or Fool’s Gold?<\/h3>\n
Coaching The Right Way<\/h4>\n