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The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery has come and gone, and we now know the order of the first 14 selections. The San Antonio Spurs won the lottery and will take French super-prospect Victor Webanyama at No. 1 overall. After that, the draft order is wide open. For example, Baylor freshman guard Keyonte George could go as high as No. 10 or fall out of the lottery entirely.
George is a layer who could probably use more seasoning in college, but as a borderline lottery pick, he is right to come out in the 2023 NBA Draft. His skill set is excellent for the NBA, and he will find a home somewhere as a dangerous combo guard.
The Baylor product can ball-handle, pass, is an excellent scorer at the rim, and projects as a good 3-point shooter in the NBA. He is also comfortable playing on or off the ball. George averaged 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in his one season in Waco while shooting 33.8% from behind the arc.
While George is a good shooter, he didn’t show it at times in college, so he’ll need to become more consistent. Also, while he is a solid defender, at 6-foot-4, bigger guards could give him problems at times.
Overall, George is a versatile combo guard who can fit in almost any rotation. And if his long-distance shooting improves to match his at-rim scoring, he could become a star. Here are the three best NBA Draft destinations for Keyonte George after lottery
3. Pick No. 16: Utah Jazz
It wouldn’t be ideal for Keyonte George’s draft night experience if the Baylor freshman fell out of the lottery. But if he does, it would provide one of the best fits for him in the NBA.
The Jazz are building something after getting a solid return from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Donovan Mitchell trade and absolutely fleecing the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Rudy Gobert deal.
Utah has some legit 25-and-under talent now with Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, and Walker Kessler. Adding a guard who can play both guard spots and one day — as soon as next season if necessary — take over for Mike Conley would be great.
Assuming that the Jazz roll the dice with one of the higher ceiling wings or big prospects with the No. 9 pick like Gradey Dick from Kansas, Taylor Hendricks from UCF, or Cam Whitmore Villanova, it would make a versatile guard like George an even better fit.
2. Pick No. 14: New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans also have a solid young nucleus of young players Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones. C.J. McCollum has helped the team with playmaking and guard scoring, but he’s 31, and at this point, we all know what he is as a player.
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Keyonte George is a better driver and scorer than McCollum, and he has the potential to be a better 3-point shooter and defender.
And that’s the reason the Baylor guard could be such a good fit for the Pelicans, is that he has the potential to be a rich man’s McCollum, or even better than that as a Bradley Beal or Eric Gordon-type.
Having a shooter and scorer who can take some of the pressure off of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson would be huge, especially when it comes in a player who can handle the ball when necessary but doesn’t need it in his hands to succeed.
1. Pick No. 10: Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks got a bit lucky, and their late-season tanking worked out as the team stayed at No. 10 in the NBA Draft Lottery and got to keep their pick instead of having to give it to the New York Knicks.
Now, they just need to find a perfect fit to play with Luka Doncic, which is much easier said than done, as the first five years of his career have shown.
Doncic is one of the most unique players in the NBA, and as such, it is hard to find the best players to fit around him. A perfect partner for Luka on the guard side would be a knockdown shooter, elite perimeter defender, and a player who can create their own shot and for others while not needing the ball in their hand to make an impact.
That’s an incredibly difficult type of player to find, but Keyonte George could fit several of those descriptions. He has the potential to become an above-average deep shooter and defender, even at his size. He can also create and score and play with or without the ball.
At No. 10, the temptation for the Mavs will be to take a higher ceiling, lower floor prospect than the Baylor guard. However, with George’s makeup, the Mavs specifically taking him at No. 10 won’t be “over-drafting” him because of his signature skills.
