When Donovan Mitchell first joined the league in 2018, he had one of the most electrifying rookie seasons in NBA history. He has, in turn, noticed when other rookies are having good seasons.
This season, Mitchell has taken notice of Memphis Grizzlies rookie guard Jaylen Wells, who’s been pretty impressive for a second-round pick.
Donovan Mitchell Praised Jaylen Wells For How Well He’s Established Himself
Mitchell got right to the point when talking about how he feels about Wells.
“That kid is good. … I’ve watched him a bunch this season,” Donovan Mitchell said during a postgame press conference, per RG’s Spencer Davies.
Mitchell also mentioned that, given what Wells has to go up against, he’s impressed that Wells has gotten plenty of attention around the NBA.
“For a second-round rookie [to face] guys like myself, Dame [Lillard], Book [Devin Booker], Ant [Edwards], Steph [Curry], he’s on the [scouting] report. That’s a lot of respect to him,” Mitchell said.
The Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star then delved into what exactly about Wells’ game he likes. More than that, he expressed his optimism that Wells will only get better from here. “On the offensive end, I didn’t know he shot it as well as he did, with confidence. He’s kind of made himself a staple over there,” Mitchell added.
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“They really rely on him to disrupt a lot of different things. He’s definitely really talented, and he’s only gonna get better. I give him a lot of credit for continuing to be that player and not really tripping on if I score or he gets scored on, or if he makes shots, doesn’t make shots. He’s been that way. I’ve been watching it all year, first time in person.”
After going through a rather turbulent season last year, the Grizzlies have been back with a vengeance. Adding Wells into the mix has only helped them in that regard. In fact, it’s been Wells’ play that made the Grizzlies comfortable with trading Marcus Smart away at the trade deadline.
Well’s gradual improvement could actually make a huge long-term difference for the Grizzlies. They’ve been in playoff contention for several years but needed someone who could raise their ceiling. Wells may very well be the answer.
His play has clearly resonated with Mitchell, whose surprisingly amazing rookie season basically helped the Utah Jazz stay in playoff contention during his rookie year, even after losing All-Star Gordon Hayward the previous offseason in 2017.
Memphis Grizzlies’ Rest-of-Season Outlook
The Grizzlies are 38-24 on the season, good enough for fourth in the Western Conference with a winning percentage of 61.3%. However, they have been in a bit of a rut, running on a four-game losing streak with a 3-7 record in their last 10 games.
Memphis has a middle-of-the-pack strength of schedule heading into the postseason, but defensive ace Jaren Jackson Jr. suffered an ankle injury that will leave him week-to-week, hurting his odds at earning his second Defensive Player of the Year award in his career.
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If the standings hold, Memphis is set to face the Houston Texans in Round 1 of the NBA playoffs, which would be an intriguing matchup between two young teams. However, the Grizz only currently hold a 0.5-game lead over Houston and a five-game lead over the eighth seed, meaning that their remaining 20-game stretch could be crucial for the team.
Team star Ja Morant has had a rough season, seeing a downturn in production while dealing with injuries, and the team will likely look to him to carry the load further down the stretch, as well as fifth-year guard Desmond Bane.
