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The Utah Jazz are facing a wave of injuries as they prepare to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. Jaren Jackson Jr. remains out with an MCL injury, Jusuf Nurkic is still recovering from a preseason foot injury and will be re-evaluated in less than two weeks, and Lauri Markkanen is questionable due to a lingering wrist issue.
Now, the team's injury report has grown once more, with Keyonte George added as a late entry. According to a recent update from the Jazz, George has been downgraded from available to questionable for Sunday night's game against the Timberwolves because of an illness.
George has been one of the Jazz's most durable players in the rotation, which has been hit hard by injuries early in the season. He has appeared in all nine games so far, and a missed game on Sunday would be his first of the new campaign.
It's possible that George's placement on the injury report is merely precautionary, depending on the severity of his illness. There have been numerous instances where a player was listed as questionable due to illness but ultimately played once tip-off arrived.
However, if the illness is severe enough to keep him out of Sunday's game, it would be a significant loss for the Jazz rotation. George has been one of the few bright spots for a team that has struggled through its first nine games.
Averaging over 32 minutes per night, George is putting up 21.3 points on 45.5% shooting from the field, along with 4.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists. Without him, the Jazz offense would take a major hit, which is far from ideal for a team that ranks in the bottom 10 of the NBA in offensive rating during its 1-8 start.
George's absence would also force a shakeup in the backcourt depth. Darryn Peterson would likely take on more lead guard duties, and Isaiah Collier would see extra minutes as well. Still, there's no denying that the Jazz's guard rotation and overall offensive production are better when George is on the floor.
When combined with a potential absence from Lauri Markkanen due to his wrist injury, the Jazz's chances of snapping their losing streak become much slimmer. Being without both would mean Utah is forced to play without four of its five starters and its top three scorers.
More clarity on George's status will emerge in the hours leading up to the Jazz's Sunday night matchup against the Timberwolves, scheduled for 6 PM MT at the Target Center.