{"id":58382,"date":"2023-11-09T06:21:23","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T11:21:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=58382"},"modified":"2023-11-09T06:25:39","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T11:25:39","slug":"nba-rumors-notes-keyontae-george-walker-kessler-draymond-green-jamal-murray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2023\/11\/09\/nba-rumors-notes-keyontae-george-walker-kessler-draymond-green-jamal-murray\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Rumors and Notes: Keyontae George, Walker Kessler, Draymond Green and Jamal Murray"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NBA<\/a> was busy last night with 14 games on the docket. All five Northwest division teams were among the clubs in action. The Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves picked up victories last night.<\/p>\n

NBA Rumors and Notes: Keyontae George, Walker Kessler, Draymond Green and Jamal Murray<\/h2>\n

Keyonte George Gets First Start For Jazz<\/h3>\n

With Walker Kessler<\/a><\/strong> ruled out for Utah’s game against the Indiana Pacers, Jazz head coach Will Hardy decided to shuffle up the lineup. Instead of inserting backup center Kelly Olynyk<\/a> in the starting lineup, Hardy handed rookie Keyonte George’s<\/strong> <\/a>first career NBA start on his birthday. George officially started in place of Talen Horton-Tucker<\/strong><\/a> at point guard.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/utahjazz\/status\/1722403758553100513<\/p>\n

Before Wednesday’s night game, George had a valuable member off the bench for Hardy. As expected, the 20-year-old — the No. 16 overall pick in 2023 — has struggled in his first eight games off the bench. However, he has shown flashes of his ability to score and distribute.<\/p>\n

George wasn’t the only new starter against the Pacers. Ochai Agbaji<\/strong> <\/a>got the start at small forward, pushing Lauri Markkanen<\/strong><\/a> to power forward while John Collins<\/strong> <\/a>slid over to center. Jordan Clarkson<\/strong><\/a> remained at shooting guard with the first unit.<\/p>\n

Agbaji, who started 22 games as a rookie last season, had been regulated to the second unit this year and averaged 14 minutes a game. Known as a sharpshooter entered Wednesday night’s contest, shooting 33.3% from the field and 31.6% from the 3-point line.<\/p>\n

Walker Kessler To Miss At Least Two Weeks With Elbow Strain<\/h3>\n

Kessler missed the loss to the Pacers due to a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow, according to a team press release. The Jazz said that the 22-year-old will be reevaluated in two weeks.<\/p>\n

According to the Jazz, Kessler initially sustained the injury during the team\u2019s season opener on October 25. However, the injury wasn\u2019t formally diagnosed until recently, when the 7-1 center underwent an MRI. He had been playing through discomfort the past couple weeks. Kessler is expected to participate in non-contact activities over the next two weeks to facilitate his recovery.<\/p>\n

Kessler is a force on the offensive glass and as a rim-protector. While he has struggled a little offensively, Kessler has shown some growth on that end.\u00a0 He scored 22 points on 10 of 11 shooting against Denver and set a franchise record with 11 offensive boards versus Chicago on Nov. 6.<\/p>\n

Utah fell to 2-7 on the season with the 134-108 setback to the Pacers. It was the Jazz’s fourth straight loss and fifth consecutive on the road.<\/p>\n

It will be interesting to see if Hardy keeps the same lineup as last night in the next six games — the minimum number of games Kessler is expected to miss. My guess is that George will remain at point guard, as he did an excellent job distributing the ball while not turning the ball over. George finished the game with seven points, on 3 of 8 shooting from the field, a career-high nine assists, and one turnover.<\/p>\n

Olynyk is really the only big off the bench that Hardy trusts, as Luka Semanic<\/strong><\/a> and Omer Yurtseven<\/strong><\/a> didn’t play on Wednesday. Semanic has only seen 16 minutes over four appearances, and Yurtseven has been on the court 31 minutes in six games.<\/p>\n

Nuggets Defeat Warriors Without Jamal Murray<\/h3>\n

Denver,<\/a> 8-1, picked up its fourth straight victory with a 108-105 win over Golden State (6-3) despite being without star guard Jamal Murray<\/strong><\/a> for a second straight game.\u00a0Nikola Jokic<\/a><\/strong> recorded his eighth double-double with 35 points and 13 rebounds, while Reggie Jackson<\/strong><\/a>, who started in place of Murray for a second straight contest, added 20 points.<\/p>\n

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Murray is expected to miss three-to-four weeks due to a right hamstring strain.<\/p>\n

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ESPN Sources: Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray will be likely sidelined for the remainder of the month because of his right hamstring strain. pic.twitter.com\/yfdxUZ5bkK<\/a><\/p>\n

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 8, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n