Keyonte George Is Giving the Jazz a Lot to Believe In
Keyonte George isn’t just flashing potential anymore-he’s delivering on it. The Utah Jazz guard, fresh off his 22nd birthday, has taken a leap this season that’s impossible to ignore.
The buzz around him has grown louder with each passing week, and now the comparisons are starting to roll in. First it was Deron Williams.
Now? Tyrese Maxey.
That latest comp came from NBA writer Michael Pina during a recent episode of The Lowe Post podcast with Zach Lowe. And while matching Maxey’s trajectory might be a best-case scenario, it’s not completely out of left field. There are real similarities between the two-especially when you watch George during one of his hot stretches.
“He goes through these stretches where he’s just a blur,” Pina said. “He’s almost unguardable, hitting ridiculous shots off the dribble and getting wherever he wants. He reminds me of what Maxey looked like right before he won Most Improved Player.”
That’s high praise, no doubt. Maxey has become one of the NBA’s premier scoring guards, earning both a Most Improved Player award and an All-Star nod.
If the Sixers stay relevant, he’s likely headed for another. So when someone says George is showing shades of that same dynamic energy-quick first step, fearless shot-making, relentless tempo-it turns heads.
And here’s the thing: it’s not just talk. George has been backing it up on the floor.
A Scoring Surge That’s Hard to Ignore
Since mid-November, George has been on a tear. According to NBA.com, he’s averaging over 25 points per game while shooting 48.6% from the field and a scorching 43% from beyond the arc. That’s not just a hot hand-that’s sustained, efficient scoring from a young guard who’s starting to figure it out.
It’s especially notable because shooting inconsistency was one of the biggest knocks on George during his first two years in the league. He could get to his spots, but finishing plays-particularly from deep-was hit-or-miss. Now, he’s stringing together performances that show he’s not just a volume scorer, but an efficient one.
And when George is locked in, the Jazz look like a different team. His impact goes beyond the box score.
When he’s on, Utah’s offense flows better, the pace picks up, and defenses are forced to stretch out and scramble. When he’s off, the team can look disjointed, struggling to generate rhythm.
That kind of swing tells you just how central George has become to what the Jazz are building.
Maxey-Like? Maybe. But George Is Carving His Own Path
It’s tempting to draw parallels between George and Maxey. Both are explosive guards with scoring instincts, drafted in similar spots, and both have made noticeable leaps early in their careers. But George doesn’t need to follow Maxey’s exact path to be a success story for the Jazz.
The important thing is that George is proving he belongs in the conversation as a foundational piece. He’s not just a promising young guard anymore-he’s becoming the guy Utah can build around.
And while the season is no longer in its infancy, there’s still time for George to level up even further. He’s already shown he can adjust, improve, and lead. If this is just the beginning, the Jazz might be looking at a long-term answer in the backcourt.
The Jazz Have Every Reason to Believe
For a franchise looking to establish a new identity in the post-Mitchell-Gobert era, George’s emergence is exactly what they needed. He doesn’t have to win Most Improved or make an All-Star team this year to validate the hype. He just has to keep playing like this-with confidence, control, and the kind of scoring punch that changes games.
If he keeps trending upward, comparisons to Maxey might not feel lofty at all. They might feel like the right neighborhood.
Either way, Utah has something real in Keyonte George. And that’s a win in itself.