Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George is turning his third NBA season into a career year, recording personal bests across every major statistical category while boosting both his shooting efficiency and defensive effort, according to The Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen.
The 23-year-old told Larsen he spent the offseason refining his skill set and building chemistry with All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen. “We had a three-hour conversation at his house right before camp,” George said. “We laid out his goals, my goals and what a successful season would look like. We’re always talking—on the road, during timeouts, walking on or off the court.”
George, eligible for a rookie-scale extension next summer, added that he now better understands where Markkanen prefers to receive the ball. “If I can get it to him in space, on time and on target, he’ll let it fly,” he noted. “I’ve got another level to reach, but I’m happy with my progress and with the team learning ‘the game within the game.’”
Bailey exits with knee bruise
Jazz rookie forward Ace Bailey sustained a right knee contusion during Friday’s win over Sacramento and did not return, the team announced. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 draft had averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals on .523/.383/.778 shooting in eight games (25.1 minutes per contest) since joining the starting lineup.
Mitchell also hurt
Oklahoma City guard Ajay Mitchell, in his second season, left Friday’s game with a left knee contusion and was ruled out. The Belgian combo guard is considered an early candidate for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Timberwolves address late-game woes over dinner
After back-to-back losses to Sacramento and Phoenix, Timberwolves veteran point guard Mike Conley organized a team dinner Tuesday to discuss the club’s late-game execution, reports Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Conley said the gathering served multiple purposes. “It’s OK to eat, enjoy each other and watch other basketball games,” he explained. “It doesn’t have to be all business all the time.”
The Timberwolves hope the informal meeting will help them close out tight contests as the season progresses.
Source: Hoops Rumors
