Jazz rookie Keyonte George puts up second straight 15-point effort as a starter

Keyonte George has started the last four games for the Jazz, and has impressed head coach Will Hardy in that role.

Rookie Keyonte George has started each of the last four games for the Utah Jazz, and the 16th pick has impressed head coach Will Hardy in that role.

George tied a season high on Friday with 15 points, six assists, three rebounds and one steal in a 131-128 loss to the Phoenix Suns. He shot 5-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range, in 29 minutes of action.

The 20-year-old once again looked to be in control as the point guard. He has a good feel for when to dish it to his teammates and when to keep it himself and score. He had a couple of late miscues that helped the Suns pull out the win, but Hardy didn’t blame him.

“I think, overall, his execution poise has been good, and his poise has been good,” Hardy said. “His communication between me and the team has been very good, getting us organized. I felt we’ve been very organized when he has been on the floor. I know he is beating himself up about that play, but that play is not why we lost the game.”

George has performed well in the early going, and many fans wanted to see him moved to the starting lineup. He hasn’t looked the part of being a first-year player and has already earned the trust of his coaches and teammates.

He has put up back-to-back 15-point efforts for the Jazz and is averaging 11 points, 8.3 assists and three rebounds as a starter. He has displayed a good understanding of how the Jazz want to play and their system through 12 games.

George has emerged as one of the most productive rookies thus far and seems to be handling the transition to the NBA very well. His growth on and off the court will certainly be fun to watch this year.

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