Keyonte George NBA Draft 2023: Scouting report, age, favorable teams, and more
Keyonte George, 19 years old, played for the Baylor Bears and is a top prospect for the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft. George made the All-Pac 12 team and won conference Rookie of the Year. George averaged 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists as a 6-foot-4 inch guard.
George is a dynamic two-way player. On the offensive end, George likes to shoot the long ball and attack the rim. George has the ability to shift speeds which makes him a tough guard because he could step back to pull up or else drive to the rim.
George is unafraid of drawing contact and often gets foul calls in his favor. His shooting percentages are somewhat low, though, which demands that he put in a lot of work to be considered a great scorer. He shot 37.6% from the field and only 33.8% from beyond the arc. It will be critical for him to improve these numbers going into the NBA.
On the defensive end, George can also lock up players despite his small frame. That said, he is not an elite athlete who can be a defensive anchor. Given the pace and strength of NBA players, George might have more work to do here.
Overall, Keyonte George has slipped in his draft potential. At some point, George was reportedly a top five or a top 10 pick. However, at this stage, he would be lucky to be a lottery pick at all.
What is the projected draft pick for Keyonte George?
Keyonte George is projected to be a mid-late, first-round draft pick. George has dropped in rankings because of his poor shooting percentages. His assist-to-turnover ratio is also a turn off given that he's a guard. George averaged 2.8 assists per game but had 2.9 turnovers per game. Ultimately, for George, it will come down to which team feels that it could use his presence.
George could potentially be a number 15 pick for the Atlanta Hawks. He would compliment the style of play that Trae Young has. George would be another shooter on the team who can easily attack the rim.
George could also be a later pick and is projected by ESPN as a pick number 22 for the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets would be a good landing spot where George would get ample time to learn and develop his game further.
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Another landing spot that makes sense for George is Memphis Grizzlies at pick number 19. The Grizzlies are looking to fill their rotation guard spot and could use some scoring with Ja Morant suspended for the start of the season. Even with Morant, the Grizzlies have struggles to score off the bench and George could change their fate around with his pure jumpshot.
Keyonte George's draft pick will depend on which teams feels that he could fill a gap on the roster. That said, he will definitely be featured in Round 1 of the playoffs.