When Emperor Kuzco starts his day, he sticks to a self-assembled, government-mandated morning routine. From summoning the wait staff, private chef, and theme song artist to do his bidding, he finds his rhythm as the morning progresses. This is his perfect world. This is his groove.
In turn, Keyonte George, sophomore point guard for the Utah Jazz, is finding his rhythm this season. Notching career-highs with 15.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per night means that the one they call “Key” is acclimating to the NBA game.
He’s found his groove, his pattern of behavior, the rhythm in which he enacts his will on the basketball world. Throw it off, and you may find yourself soaring from the top-story window of Ryan Smith’s Delta Center kingdom.
This man learned the hard way that you should never throw off the Emperor’s groove.
Giphy, Disney
Utah’s young scoring guard is imposing his will on the NBA this season, and his highlights have been glimmers of promise in an otherwise bitterly dark season.
We’re fresh off the heels of a tragic 40-point demolition at the hands of the Sacramento Kings, but many faithful Keyonte enjoyers were quick to recognize how his box score leaped from the page and emphatically declared that although his team may be in the dumpster, he’s still ready to handle business on the court. Forget the score, we ball.
On that night, George bundled 25 points on 8-14 from the field (including 3-6 from long range). Don’t forget his ever-improving passing ability, as Utah took a chance on the 6-foot-4 combo guard with the hope that his playmaking chops would acclimate to the NBA game as a dynamic dual threat from the point.
Not to mention this klepto's tendency to take the rightful possessions of the other team by outright stealing the ball no less than four times on the night. It’s blatant thievery of the highest degree. Here he is, officer; number 3 is the man you’re looking for.
He riffed 16 points only two games prior with 5 assists to pair against OKC, one of the best defenses in basketball. When his shot couldn’t find the shoestring funnel, he pivoted into a pass-first point guard as he dished out 8 assists against last season’s runner-up.
Thus, Keyonte has found his groove—you’d better not throw it off.
One of the few survivor’s of the Emperor’s antics, he knows better than to become a repeat offender.
Giphy, Disney
Drafting the Baylor product in the ‘23 NBA Draft was the best they could have done with their 16th overall pick—sorry Cam Whitmore apologists. His steady improvement got the gears in my head turning. Are we watching the best point guard in the entire 2023 NBA Draft class?
The statement feels absurd when I say it out loud... but as I begin to think about it, I can’t shake the inkling that I may be on to something.
In what was supposed to be a relatively shallow draft beyond the first 3 picks, Keyonte slid well out of the lottery thanks to inconsistency in his shot and the concern that his size may not adjust gracefully to the physical NBA. It’s grown-man basketball out there.
The prize of the draft was that alien they picked up in the deserts of San Antonio, but third off the board was a bruising hyper-athletic point guard from the now-defunct G-League Ignite who when by the name Scoot.
If I wanted to find the best point guards in the 2023 draft class, I’d need to be scientific about it: let’s make a completely unbiased ranking completely removed from my lifetime fandom and “Purple is Back” bumper sticker. If that’s possible, I’ll do what’s necessary to discover the unsaturated facts.
In order of selection here is every point guard selected in Keyonte’s class, with positions according to Basketball Reference.
Scoot Henderson - POR
Anthony Black - ORL
Keyonte George - UTA
Marcus Sasser - DET
Amari Bailey - CHA
...Yes, seriously, that’s a list of every point guard selected in the 2023 NBA Draft. Convincing you, dear reader, that Keyonte is in a class of his own among his peers may be a simpler task than I originally thought.
Let’s open this up by first comparing each player’s counting stats this season, and organizing a ranking based on whose numbers are most impressive, and we can assess this group with the numbers in mind.
Here’s what my data gathering came up with—can you believe it? It’s data.
Surprise, surprise, Keyonte clears the pack in every offensive metric. More points than Scoot, more rebounds than 6-foot-7 Black, and is number one in every stat, save for steals and blocks—though Black only owns 0.1 more swipes per contest.
We’re still only a few weeks into these players' second NBA seasons, but considering that Utah would have likely picked up Henderson or Black if they were in Portland or Orlando’s position, winding up with Keyonte in this shallow pool of point guard talent is incredibly fortunate.
Not to mention his counting stats have improved across the board—indicating undeniable improvement for the sophomore.
How I feel seeing Keyonte ball out this season.
Giphy, Disney
He hasn’t been perfect, and his efficiency could certainly benefit from better shot selection to stoke higher shooting percentages. He’ll need to develop greater consistency as touches upon his weaknesses to allow his game to bloom.
George, like his team, is a work in progress, but seeing where he stands relative to his peers is incredibly encouraging for Utah’s rebuild. Keyonte is finding his groove.