After the Cleveland Cavaliers' 123-112 loss on Monday night, Donovan Mitchell went out of his way to campaign for Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George as a first-time NBA All-Star. It was an impressive night for the 22-year-old on the road against the Cavs, as George tallied a game-high 32 points on 8-of-16 from the field, making four of his eight attempts from deep and 12-of-12 from the free-throw line. He also dished out nine assists, grabbed five rebounds, and got a steal in his 34 minutes.
“They came in there and just outplayed us. It started with Keyonte George, who deserves to be an All-Star,” Mitchell said postgame. “A young fella that I know personally, and I'm excited to see his progress just from last year to this year. The coach he works with is a close friend of mine, so to see them continue to take that step, it's amazing to see. I'm happy for 'em.”
George is averaging an impressive 23.8 points, 6.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and one steal per game on .454/.372/.906 shooting splits in over 34 minutes a night. Coming off the most lopsided loss of their season, the Jazz bounced back to start a five-game road trip with an impressive victory over the talented, yet inconsistent Cavs. As Mitchell indicated, the third-year guard was all over the floor and a big reason why Utah responded to a 55-point home drubbing by the Charlotte Hornets.
Jazz head coach Will Hardy was impressed by George's 25-point second half, which started with a 16-point third quarter and culminated with clutch shot-making in the final frame. A reporter asked about the similarities between George and Mitchell, who made his first All-Star Game in his third year.
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“His ability to create offense for us continues to show for us, especially when the game slows down,” Hardy said postgame. “Keyonte's having a great season. Donovan is a heck of a player. I have so much respect for him, the way he's carried himself during his career. The way that he plays, I mean, he's spectacular. But Keyonte's running his race, and I think that has to be Keyonte's focus.
“I recognize that our league is full of comparisons, and that's for other people to do. Fans can do those things if they'd like, and media can do those things if they'd like. But my hope is that, for us, we stay focused as a group and individually on what we have to do to continue to get better. I think that there's a little bit where that can make Keyonte feel good because it's being compared in a positive way, but at the same time, I want Keyonte to stay focused on just being Keyonte.”
We'll see if history repeats itself in Salt Lake City. Regardless, George has a fan in Mitchell and plenty of support from the Jazz as he continues to grow.