Keyonte George Thinks Utah Jazz Will Shock the World Next Season

The Utah Jazz head into the 2026-27 season looking to be much improved from where they've stood throughout the past several seasons.

They're going into the year healthy, have another year of development under their belt for their young players, and have two All-Star talents leading the charge with Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the frontcourt.

It's a core that could be more than capable of making their first run to the playoffs since 2022. And while they may be without the presence of Walker Kessler following his trade to the LA Lakers, his departure hasn't damage the confidence of those on the roster heading into next season.

Keyonte George Thinks Jazz Have a Surprising Season on the Horizon

Keyonte George is the latest Jazzman to speak out on what he expects to see from the Jazz this coming season, and it's safe to say he's got a lot of belief in what this group could ultimately do.

But that confidence from George doesn't just rely on what the Jazz can do offensively–– which has been where most of their strengths have lied within the past three to four seasons–– but he also sees some solid potential for Utah on the defensive end as well.

"Obviously, Walker [Kessler], he was big for us. I came into this thing with him, and just happy for him at the end of the day," George said at the Las Vegas Summer League. "But, offensively, we've got everything in the book. I think on the other side of the ball, we're going to shock the world. Being connective. Jaren [Jackson] is gonna raise the floor for us on that side of the ball for sure."

Keyonte George on the Jazz:

"Offensively we got everything in the book. I think on the other side of the ball I think we're going to shock the world. Jaren is gonna raise the floor for us on that side of the ball for sure"pic.twitter.com/vfNOLqkDfY
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) July 13, 2026

The Jazz have several reasons to feel good about what they'll be able to do on the offensive side.

Between George's own emergence combined with Lauri Markkanen to play off of in the frontcourt, along with two young pieces in Ace Bailey and Darryn Peterson who could do some damage in terms of scoring, there's a ton of offensive upside for Utah to lean on.

But surprisingly, it's on the defensive side of the ball where George sees the Jazz being able to "shock the world," a lot of which can be attributed to the addition of Jaren Jackson Jr., who will be able to be fully healthy entering the new year after missing all but three games following his trade to Utah.

Adding Jackson was largely done with a focus on adding more defensive versatility and adding a perfect complement to Lauri Markkanen in their frontcourt that can offer a nice dose of star power on both ends.

Feb 9, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Utah Jazz forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (20) reacts against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Beyond Jackson, though, the Jazz could be in for a step forward in terms of defense, even without having Walker Kessler onboard the roster.

The Jazz added a defensive-minded veteran in Josh Okogie in free agency to help out on the perimeter, and multiple young pieces like Cody Williams, Ace Bailey, and even Keyonte George himself, who have a good chance to see some strides on defense, for Utah to become a much more well-rounded group than they have been since kickstarting their rebuild four summers ago.

If the Jazz can raise their floor defensively, while also reaching their potential as an offensive ranked within the top half of the NBA as soon as next season, a playoff berth could be well within the cards for Utah––and they might just "shock the world" as George is already hinting at over three months out from opening night.

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