Keyonte George Stays Level-Headed Despite Shooting Slump

SALT LAKE CITY – Keyonte George has not had the ideal start to his sophomore season shooting the ball.

The guard is just 16-61 from the floor, or 26.2 percent.

Among players who have attempted at least 60 shots over their first four games to open a season, George’s .262 hit rate is tied with former Atlanta Hawks forward Jim Jackson for the worst average in NBA history.

Despite his early season struggle, George hasn’t lost confidence in his shooting or his overall game.

Related: Jazz Drop Fourth Straight With Loss To Kings

Keyonte George Confident Shooting Will Improve

Dating back to last year’s rookie season, George’s overall field goal percentage has dropped from 39 to 26, his three-point shooting percentage has dipped from 32 to 22, and his free-throw percentage has dropped from 84 to 75.

After shooting 49 percent from the floor and 45 percent from three during preseason, George’s slow start has come as a surprise.

“This is the name of the game,” George said after Tuesday’s 3-11 performance against the Sacramento Kings. “I had a good preseason. Obviously, start of the season ain’t really been the way I want it to.”

𝘚𝘕𝘌𝘈𝙆𝙀𝙔 🤫🔑#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/APiDCcC6Ss

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 29, 2024

George was noticeably frustrated after the Jazz’s opening night loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, when he shot just 3-18 from the field in a two point loss at home.

That’s when head coach Will Hardy stepped in.

“Will sat me down and told me, ‘You’ve got to give yourself some grace,'” George recalled. “He asked the group a question, ‘How would you talk about somebody — how would you talk to somebody that was in a slump? You gotta talk to yourself the same way.'”

How Can George Snap Out Of Shooting Slump?

While George has carried himself differently since the opening night loss, his improved confidence hasn’t been reflected in his shooting numbers.

So how does the sophomore plan to work his way out of the slump?

“At some point, the ball is going to drop,” George said. “You’ve got to keep harping on your habits — got to continue to trust your work.”

coast to coast in the home state 😉🔑 pic.twitter.com/5pTzDqUYWk

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 29, 2024

After Tuesday’s loss, Hardy echoed George’s sentiments.

“We’re getting good looks for people that we want taking those shots, and for whatever the reasons are, it hasn’t gone in,” Hardy said postgame.

The Jazz have the third-lowest three-point success rate in the NBA at 28.5 percent as a team, edging out the league-worst Philadelphia 76ers by just one percentage point.

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“That’s nothing for us to complain about or hang our heads about,” Hardy added. “No one’s trying to miss, and I do believe that our shooting is far better than it is shown to this point.”

Though his shot hasn’t fallen early in the year, George hasn’t let it affect the rest of his game.

confidence is 🔑 𝗞𝗘𝗬 🔑#TakeNote | @keyonte1george pic.twitter.com/DRY5HlsQoE

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 24, 2024

The sophomore has seen a jump in rebounds from 2.8 per game last year to 3.3 this season. His assists have also climbed from 4.4 as a rookie to 6.5 as a sophomore.

“I’m working on the jump shot,” George said, “But I think everything else, outside of scoring the basketball — I think I’m really locking in on those things and trying to grow as a player.”

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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.

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