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SALT LAKE CITY — Keyonte George was one of the more polarizing players in this year's draft.
His proponents looked at his ball handling (he's got a big bag of tricks), natural scoring instincts and shooting ability.
His detractors looked at his efficiency numbers.
Count the Jazz as part of the former group. With the No. 16 pick, Utah took the former Baylor guard who looks the part of the scorer.
In his one season at Baylor, George averaged 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 28.6 minutes across 33 games. He shot 37.6% from the floor, 33.8% from 3-point range and 79.8% from the foul line.
George was a consensus five-star prospect and was ESPN's No. 3 overall player in the 2022 class.
"I think I'm an elite scorer," George said at the draft combine in May. "I showed this year my passing ability is really up there, passing with my right hand and my left hand. I think I showed toward the end of the year somewhat of my athleticism, but not even close.
"But I think those are the main things. Just my tenacity on the defensive end — showing in spurts where I can stay in front of my man, knowing where to be on the rotation, be help side. I think I showed I can have an all-around game."
