Pretty much all of the Jazz players had left the court after the shootaround buzzer sounded Friday morning.
Keyonte George wasn’t quite ready to go.
With star rookie Darryn Peterson beside him and a couple of trainers, George stayed on the court putting up extra shots ahead of the team’s home opener against the New Orleans Pelicans.
It was a small moment, typical for leaders of a team, but one that fits what the Jazz are trying to build this season: a team that puts in the work, grows together and gives its fans something to cheer about.
First, though, Utah has to bounce back from a rough start.
The Jazz were outrebounded 55-38 in Wednesday’s 123-103 loss to Memphis, giving up 15 offensive rebounds and allowing the Grizzlies to take 18 more shots. Looking at the players who were at the center position, a rotation of Jaxson Hayes followed by Jaren Jackson Jr. and Kyle Filipowski, they combined for 10.
Coach Will Hardy harped about winning the possession battle following the game. Utah also turned the ball over 18 times and couldn’t slow down Ty Jerome, who poured in a career-high 45 points.
George knows the team has plenty to clean up, especially defensively.
“The obvious thing was, we got some ways to go,” George said after practice Friday. “Offensively, we’re going to figure it out. Defensively, our communication has to go up.”
The Jazz went back through the film and worked on things like communication, switching and making sure everyone understood the defensive coverage. But for George, it all comes back to one thing: focus.
“Our theme for the year is just going to be our focus,” George said. “Can we focus for 48 minutes?”
Memphis made its biggest push in the third quarter, and George said those are the moments that will tell Utah what kind of team it can become.
“When adversity hits, what type of group, team, will we be in those moments?” George said. “Can we fight back, even if we don’t get the result that we want?”
this morning’s shootaround 🤌🤌#TakeNotepic.twitter.com/u6rxivYOOS
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 23, 2026
Jazz owe their fans a better showing
The Jazz will get their chance to respond at home Friday night. And after watching the fans stick with the team through some difficult seasons, George said the players want to give them a special one.
“They’ve showed up since I’ve been here. Through the ups, the downs, through the ugly,” George said Friday. “They’ve stayed and watched from the first quarter all the way to the end of the game. I think for us, that means something.”
George also pointed to the time the players have spent together away from the court, saying those relationships are helping the group grow closer. That chemistry will be especially important as George and Peterson continue figuring things out together in the backcourt.
“When we’re out there on the floor between those four lines, especially on our home floor, we’re going to do anything it takes to protect it,” George said.
Utah will need to be better on the boards if that’s the case. With center Jusuf Nurkić still sidelined, the Jazz could use a boost from returning big man Tony Bradley, who was listed as available on Friday’s injury report after dealing with a left quad issue.
For George, there’s no need for extra motivation to play at home. The atmosphere alone is enough to get him going.
“Every time we got a home game, man, it’s hard for me to sleep at night,” George said. “I’m just ready to get out there.”
