Jusuf Nurkic may have made the basket that gave the Utah Jazz their win over the Boston Celtics but it was Keyonte George who kept them in that road game before the critical possession in the last second.
The third year guard is in fact the one that topscored for them while also providing relentless defense against Celtics’ guards and creating plays for them.
George, who was suggested to be traded away before the season started, is already showing shades of being a good leader and that is why he is his current favorite player.
Nurkic is not stopping in that kind of praise. He even thinks he is similar to an NBA great he personally knows.
“He’s my favorite player so far, literally,” Nurkic told reporters after the game.
“He’s reminding me so much of Dame, in a way. Just the way he works, the way he understands the game, and the way he wants to be better.”
Nurkic played with Damian Lillard from 2017 to 2023 in the Portland Trailblazers. Dame is part of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and has been to the All-Star Game nine times. Lillard, just like what Nurkic saw in his third year teammate, for his drive to get better and killer mentality.
Utah Jazz asked Keyonte George to grow up
George is currently the second best player in the Jazz squad next to Lauri Markkanen scoring-wise. He also plays the second most minutes.
His responsibility is getting bigger and that is something the organization asked of him before the season started.
“It was basically about that it’s time to grow up,” George said when asked about his exit interview with the. front office.
“Just seeing how the team was going throughout the summer, (I) had to take another step. It was really about how I can keep the line going up and not plateau.”
This growing up is happening right in front of the fans and the team is not letting him do that alone. Part of the step to help him is bringing in the likes of Nurkic and one-time champion and five-time All-Star Kevin Love.
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