SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell has impressed NBA fans since the season started.
But Mitchell impressed the Orlando Magic even before he made his professional debut.
Last May, the Magic’s delegation to the 2017 NBA Draft Combine, led by then-acting general manager Matt Lloyd and coach Frank Vogel, interviewed Mitchell.
“We were very high on him,” Vogel said Monday, before the Magic faced Mitchell’s Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. “We knew he was going to be a terrific player. He was one of the most impressive young men when you sit down and talk with him. In the interview, he just appeared very polished and was someone you know is going to have success.”
The Magic passed on Mitchell in the draft, choosing instead to select forward Jonathan Isaac sixth overall.
Mitchell entered Monday as one of the NBA’s best rookies this season, averaging a team-high 19.9 points per game as well as 3.5 assists per game.
“That’s him,” Isaac said. “This dude, I thought he was a stud at Louisville, and I got to know him a little bit through the draft process. He’s a great dude, and I’m happy for him.”
The Denver Nuggets selected Mitchell 13th overall and then traded his rights to the Jazz for forward Trey Lyles and the rights to the 24th pick, Tyler Lydon.
Mitchell played two seasons at Louisville, where he averaged 15.6 points per game as a sophomore.
Mitchell and Isaac played against each other once in college, with Isaac’s Florida State Seminoles defeating Mitchell’s Cardinals 73-68. Plagued by foul trouble, Mitchell finished with six points on 2-of-10 shooting. Isaac fared much better, combining 16 points with 10 rebounds and two assists.
“It was a great game,” Isaac said. “We started out 14-0, and they came roaring back. It came down to the wire. But, yeah, it was a great game. I’d watch that game again just because of how good it was.”
Big milestone
Vogel entered Monday with 299 career regular-season victories.
Asked what reaching the 300-win milestone would mean to him, Vogel answered, “It reminds me of the success we’ve had and the success I hope we have here. It doesn’t feel that great with having the season that we’re having. Certainly just to have the opportunity to be a head coach in this league is something that I cherish, and hopefully I get that tonight.”
Sitting out
Rashad Vaughn, a shooting guard on his second 10-day contract with the Magic, sat out Monday’s game because he has a sore right knee.
The Magic moved Vaughn to their inactive list and activated Arron Afflalo.
Afflalo was inactive for the Magic’s win Friday over the Detroit Pistons and the Magic’s win Saturday over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Altitude woes
With an elevation of 4,226 feet, Salt Lake City is one of the tougher places to play.
Visiting players sometimes complain that the altitude causes them to feel winded more quickly than usual.
“I feel it a little bit in shootaround just getting through our stuff,” Vogel quipped. “I’m sure our guys feel it a little bit.”
Three in a row?
With a victory over the Jazz, the Magic would have extended their winning streak to three games.
The Magic had three-game winning streaks twice earlier this season: Oct. 21-27 and Feb. 5-8.
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