The Utah Jazz’s injury problems took another hit Sunday night, and this one could sting the most.
Keyonte George left the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first half after rolling his ankle while getting back on defense. He had already been listed as questionable before tipoff because of an illness, but that issue cleared up in time for him to play.
The ankle injury, though, ended his night early. George tripped over Timberwolves wing Jaylen Clark, stayed down in pain for a few moments, then headed to the locker room and was ruled out.
George’s status now hangs over a Jazz team that is already trying to survive a brutal opening stretch. Utah is 1-9 through 10 games, and the injury list is piling up fast.
Jusuf Nurkic is expected to miss the next two weeks, on top of the time he has already missed because of a preseason foot injury. Jaren Jackson Jr. is still in the six-week recovery window from the MCL tear he suffered in October.
Lauri Markkanen has also missed a couple of recent games with a wrist sprain.
That makes George’s injury especially concerning. He has been Utah’s offensive engine, its starting point guard, and its best performer in the rotation through the first 10 games. If he misses extended time, the Jazz lose a huge piece of what little rhythm they’ve managed to build.
Through 10 games, George is averaging 21.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists while shooting 44.9% from the field.
If he’s sidelined, Utah’s guard group gets thin in a hurry. The remaining options are rookie second pick Darryn Peterson, third-year guard Isaiah Collier and recent two-way signee Kobe Bufkin. That’s a very different group, and not one that replaces George’s shot-making or his ability to create offense.
That matters because the Jazz offense has already been stuck in the bottom 10 in the NBA early this season. Losing George would strip away one of the team’s best sources of scoring and versatility, making an already difficult situation even tougher.
For now, the real answer won’t come until the Jazz provide another update on Monday. Until then, Utah is left hoping this is not the kind of injury that knocks George out for a significant stretch.
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