NBA: 5 major takeaways after a tremendously entertaining start to Summer League
By Ryan McCrary
5. Keyonte George could be the steal of the 2023 NBA Draft
Keyonte George has been one of the brightest stars of the summer league, averaging 20 points, four rebounds, and six assists per game through four games while shooting 42.6% from the field and 34% from three on eight attempts per game. You can make a good case that he’s been one of the best-performing rookies in the summer league so far.
He shined in his last game vs. the Clippers, in which he recorded 33 points, two rebounds, ten assists, one steal, and one block while shooting 50% from the field and 40% from downtown. He was awesome offensively in this game, looking like a potential star as a scorer and passer.
The most impressive thing about his summer league performance has been how much he has improved since his time at Baylor. In college, he was a talented scorer and shooter who had some legitimate skill as a passer. However, he was also an inefficient scorer who struggled to get to the rim and was a turnover machine with the ball in his hands.
That has not been the case this summer, as he’s shooting 51% on two-pointers while averaging just 1.5 turnovers per game. He’s also had three dunks so far which is incredible, considering he had just three dunks in 31 games at Baylor.
If these improvements are legitimate and Keyonte George continues to play at this level, he’s going to outperform his draft slot and could become a top-ten player in the class.