The Utah Jazz could be dealing with another late shakeup before Sunday night’s matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Keyonte George, who had been available, was downgraded to questionable because of an illness, adding another name to a growing injury report for Utah. The update comes as the Jazz are already waiting on several other situations to sort themselves out, including Jaren Jackson Jr. remaining sidelined with an MCL injury, Jusuf Nurkic still less than two weeks away from a re-evaluation after his preseason foot injury, and Lauri Markkanen also listed as questionable with a lingering wrist issue.
George’s status stands out because he has been one of the most dependable pieces in Utah’s rotation so far. He has played in all nine games this season, and a missed game Sunday would be his first absence of the year. There’s still a chance the illness is only a precautionary measure, since players are often listed questionable before ultimately suiting up at tip-off.
If George can’t go, though, it would be a real blow to a Jazz offense that has already struggled through the first stretch of the season. Through nine games, he has been one of the team’s clearest bright spots, averaging 21.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 45.5% from the field in a little over 32 minutes per night.
His absence would also force a reshuffle in the backcourt. Darryn Peterson would likely take on more lead guard responsibilities, while Isaiah Collier would be in line for additional minutes. Even so, Utah is plainly better offensively with George on the floor.
The concern gets even bigger if Markkanen also sits. Losing both would leave the Jazz without four of their five starters, along with their top three scorers. That would make it a much tougher road for Utah to snap its skid.
The Jazz and Timberwolves are scheduled to tip at 6 PM MT at Target Center, and George’s final status should become clearer closer to game time.
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