Donovan Mitchell 'Very Impressed' by LaMelo Ball's Career-High 34-Point Night

Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell was the latest NBA player to be awed by what LaMelo Ball is doing in his rookie season.

"I'm not going to lie, I'm very impressed," Mitchell told reporters of the Charlotte Hornets point guard after Utah's 138-121 win Friday. "Not just his playmaking ability and his competitiveness but his joy. I don't think I have ever not seen him smile throughout the game."

Ball scored a career-high 34 points on 14-of-27 shooting. It marked the most by a Hornets rookie since Alonzo Mourning in 1993.

Despite some growing pains, Ball has been everything the Hornets hoped for when they selected him third in the 2020 draft. The 19-year-old is averaging 13.6 points, 6.0 assists and 5.8 rebounds in 23 games.

Since moving into the starting lineup Monday, Ball is scoring 23.3 points and shooting 47.4 percent from three-point range. It's only a sample of three games, but it is certainly a positive indicator after questions about his shooting ability.

The Hornets are just 10-13, but the Southeast Division is such a mess that they trail the Atlanta Hawks for first place by only one game in the loss column.