Keyonte George showing he's 'pretty freaking good' after 3rd straight 30-point night

SALT LAKE CITY — Keyonte George belongs in the NBA.

And Jazz head coach Will Hardy said Thursday night it's time for others to recognize his young guard has "gotten pretty good." In fact, he's tired of people explaining away George's recent successes — like he's only playing well because someone else is helping him.

No, Hardy sees a player who has matured, taken the work seriously, and is now showing the rest of the league what he's capable of doing on the floor as he continues to develop.

That point was made clear Thursday night against the third-place Lakers in the Western Conference, where he led the Jazz with 34 points on 9-of-20 shooting — including 5-of-11 from 3-point range — while adding eight assists and four rebounds in a loss.

It was his third straight 30-point performance — the first such streak of his three-year career — and the seventh of the season, which is now more than his first two seasons combined.

The only player better on the floor was an unstoppable Luka Doncic, who put up a 45-point triple-double — his first as a member of the Lakers — while contributing 14 assists and 11 rebounds to lift Los Angeles to a come-from-behind win.

But George more than proved he belonged on the court.

"He's pretty (expletive) good," Hardy said, emphatically. "And I think it's time that everybody gives him some respect. He's worked hard, and the way he carries himself, the way he works every day, the way he takes coaching, the way he interacts with his teammates.

"Believe me, there's nobody who's going to be harder on Key than me, but he's pretty freaking good. And to do it tonight against that team when Lauri (Markkanen) is not on the court, I do think speaks volumes to the level that he's at right now. To do it efficiently at that is, I think again, it just speaks to the work that Keyonte puts in."

His teammates see the growth, too. They see a player who is taking his job more seriously and has put in the work — in private and with the team — to be a more consistent player all-around.

George has always shown a knack for scoring, but it's become more about stacking performances and being more consistent.

"I think everybody sees the work he's put in," said Isaiah Collier, who finished with 18 points and 13 assists off the bench. "I mean, great leader for us as a team. So, I mean, the work that he's put in this offseason, we've all seen it, the work he's still put in now. So, I mean, it's contagious, for sure."

Collier said that work had a sort of ripple effect on the rest of the team, who saw someone putting in the time and effort to improve. It was George, among others, pushing the team to lift itself to a higher level, too.

"He pushed all of us, and I feel like it's showing on the court for him," Collier said. "I think it's showing on the court for everybody, honestly. I think we all had a great summer. So, I mean, it's slowly progress."

"I think we have a young team, but they're serious about it," Hardy added. "They want to be really good. I think Keyonte impacts that, because he adds to it. I don't want to sit here and say that Keyonte is the reason that the other guys are taking it seriously and working hard. ... But Keyonte, the way that he works and carries himself rubs off on a lot of our team.

And for a young team still trying to find its identity and a base to build around, George is providing a sort of blueprint on how dedication to the job can pay dividends — even if it remains an ongoing process. Just like the Jazz as a whole, he's not a finished product; but the improvements are noticeable.

"Keyonte is somebody that you can use as an example of like, this is what can happen in the summer if you really put your head down and do the work for three, four months," Hardy said. "Like, you can really improve your body, you can really improve as a player."

That, in turn, has given George a little more validity as he tries to lead a team, especially now that his on-court performance is backing up all the offseason work — and the work he continues to put in — done to improve his game.

"I feel like in this league, guys kind of gravitate to guys who produce," George said. "And also on the day-to-day work, they see you work and staying after practice, seeing how methodic you are with your work, with your recovery. So I think it's a lot more than just a consistency piece, but it's a big part. But I think just the everyday approach that a player has.

"The day-to-day process that people get to see, I think that's what makes 'the leader' of the team. So I'm just focused on the basketball piece, trying to be consistent every day in my work and off the court, as well. And things will kind of happen how they're supposed to happen."

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