Keyonte George

Routinely among the Association’s elite when it comes to offensive excellence, the Utah Jazz used the 2023 NBA Draft’s No. 16 pick as confirmation that they have no plans of stopping their high-scoring habits anytime soon. Expeditious in creating an impact during his NBA debut, Keyonte George appeared perfectly at ease during a fast-paced duel against the Sacramento Kings, building what would become one of the 2023-24 season’s most thrilling rookie highlight reels. Gifted with a scoring ability that belies his age, George introduced the Kings’ defense to pull-up treys in traffic, nifty dribble moves leading to crafty at-the-rim finishes, and unselfish dimes to involve his teammates along the way. Poetically rhythmic in his flow and poise, Utah’s new guard quickly obtained the faith of his coaches, earning 19 minutes, setting the groundwork for an eight-point, two-rebound, two-assist performance with one 3-pointer on October 25, 2023. Hasty in turning his dazzling skill set into a game-by-game pattern, George overachieved relative to his draft standing, tying league history’s single-game rookie record for 3-pointers (9) on Feb. 15, while also finishing at No. 4 among first-year players in points (974) and No. 2 in assists (332), and triples (147).

Three-Star Rookie