Jazz Outlast Kings, 117-114: 3 Key Takeaways

Keyonte George didn’t miss a beat after a one-game absence due to the knee injury suffered against the Dallas Mavericks. Utah’s starting point guard logged full-time minutes and looked 100%.

George has stood out as the most improved player we’ve seen thus far. He’s always been elite at creating his own offense, but as a rookie, he had some efficiency issues. 

George will be looking to improve on last year's FG% (39.1%) and 3-point FG% (33.4%). He could take a big step forward in that area. George finished the game shooting 7-for-14 from the field with a +10 net rating.

Jazz Rotation Looks to be Set

Jazz head coach Will Hardy may have settled into his rotation to start the season. This was the first preseason game in which the minute distribution was given based on the Jazz trying to win the game.

Johnny Juzang and Kyle Filipowski were notables who didn’t make the cut against the Kings. If this trend continues, expect Filipowski to spend some time in the G-Leage.

Juzang may start the year as the odd man out, but it wasn’t because of his play in the preseason. His days as a G-Leaguer are over, and should be the next man up when opportunity knocks.

Patty Mills Debut in a Jazz Uniform

Veteran point guard Patty Mills suited up for the first time for the Jazz. In a backup role, Mills scored 5 points while logging 19 minutes.

The signing of Mills was somewhat of a surprise, considering Utah will be focusing on its youth movement. However, the Jazz could use some veteran presence in the locker room and Mills fits the bill.

Moving forward, we’ll see if injured point guard Isaiah Collier can claim the backup point minutes. The way it’s looking, Collier could be joining Filipowski to start his career with the Salt Lake City Stars.