[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2023 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Keyonte George
Frame: 6’4″, 185 lbs
Position: Guard
School: Baylor
Year: Freshman
2023 Draft Age: 18
Stats via sports-reference.com, Synergy Sports

Offense

George is one of the most effortless scorers in the nation. He is an elite shot creator from almost any situation on the floor. The highly anticipated freshman lived up to and exceeded expectations with his ability to also facilitate for others. George has an innate ability to control the offense, specifically in the pick and roll, and should be a highly coveted player in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft.

George is already in elite company as a freshman. Historically, he’s one of six 6’4″ first-year students with a box plus/minus of +5, an assist percentage above 20, shoots above 75 percent from the line, and an offensive rating above 104. The others were O.J. Mayo, Jon Wall, Landry Shamet, Jalen Suggs, and Jaden Springer. Each was a first-round selection in their drafts.

George’s tough shot-making stands out. If it s a catch-and-shoot, off-dribble or isolation, he can create a shot from almost anywhere in any body alignment. His elite ability will translate to the NBA, but his willingness to settle for tough mid-range contested jumpers is an area that may cause trouble for him when playing against the tougher defense at the next level.

He takes more dribble jumpers and guarded catch-and-shoot shots than 80 percent of the nation. Per Synergy’s Shot Quality Index, only 6.5 percent of George’s attempts classify in the 80th percentile (or higher) of a quality shot. He has an elite ability to create these shots, but it is difficult to say George will have the green light to take them early in his career. His success on the offensive end early in his career will depend on his ability to space the floor, show a consistent shot form, and showcase his underrated elite facilitation skills.

George’s facilitation skills are an underrated part of his impressive offensive repertoire. George is among 44 first-year students in the nation with an assist percentage over 20 and the only one shooting at least 35 percent from three on at least seven attempts per game. His ability to be a threat from the outside and an elite facilitator that can set up his teammates is a translatable skill and precisely what NBA teams look for in a guard his size.

If George can cut down on his poor shot decisions and turnovers, his passing ability is a skill that will keep him on the floor as a secondary facilitator. Baylor has shot five percent better on two-point attempts and 7.5 more accurately from three when George is the assister compared to the team average. He has one of the fastest processing speeds in this class; he can dissect the defensive situation quickly and understand how best to attack the half-court set defense. This includes using the pick and roll to his advantage by using his change of speed dribbling to get the big man off his balance as well as being well aware of open skip passes.

However, George has found trouble when attacking the rim, where he is only shooting 56 percent, which is the 26th percentile in the country. That may have to do with his team’s lack of success from deep, leading to clogged paint. Regardless, George can work on body control at the basket and keeping his chest aligned with the hoop even through contact to increase success. He may be known for his elite shot-making ability, but his most translatable skill could be facilitating and running a half-court offense.

 

Defense

Even though most of his impact is on the offensive end, George is a better perimeter defender than his reputation. He has elite lateral quickness and a high basketball IQ that should confidently translate to a plus perimeter defender on the next level.

He’s a great shot contester, specifically on the perimeter. Opponents are shooting only 24.7 percent from the three-point line, with George as the defender. He can recover and get out to a shooter quickly and contest without fouling. Many guards need to be more disciplined in this area and end up fouling the shooter or jumping out of the play, but George can successfully contest without fouling.

He has also shown an ability to successfully contain the PnR when guarding the ball handler. He lands in the 90th percentile in pick-and-roll defense, holding opponents to 25 percent from the field while creating turnovers an astonishing 22.2 percent of the time.

His quickness allows him to make up for being smaller than most matchups, but he needs to be disciplined and avoid chasing steals. George could be an above-average perimeter defender on the next level if he is conservative and allow his shot contest and lateral quickness to shine.

Looking Ahead

George should be a highly touted guard in the draft. His ability to score on all three levels and facilitate/control an offense is elite and should translate well to the NBA. He needs to work on his discipline on both ends of the floor and finishing at the basket. In a heated Big 12 with one of the more exciting conference play schedules, George and Baylor held their own and are looking at a bid to the NCAA Tournament. George will have a chance to continue showcasing his supreme athleticism and ability on the largest collegiate stage before he makes a splash in the pros.