Donovan Mitchell spoke recently with Tony Jones of The Athletic for an in-depth interview. During their conversation, Mitchell looked back on his stint with the Utah Jazz. He noted that he doesn’t regret his time there, doesn’t have any animosity with Rudy Gobert, his former teammate, and just chalks up any prior issues to a lack of maturity from both of them,
“I think we both would say that we weren’t our most mature selves. But, it’s tough, because you’re never the most mature you are going to be when you are 21 or 22. The funny thing is that we were our best after the COVID thing.”
“I think that’s when we got everything on the table and we were able to go and hoop. I would do it all again if I could. I’m appreciative of that because it allowed me to become this player and this person.”
Mitchell was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. He had a great rookie year, just barely missing out on the Rookie of the Year to Ben Simmons, after a heated back and forth rivalry. But despite the snub, Mitchell made a statement – he was a player to watch in the years to come.
His pairing with Rudy Gobert worked to great success, as the Jazz became a perennial playoff team during their time together. In fact, the duo helped the Jazz secure the first seed in the 2020-21 NBA season.
But their tandem wasn’t enough to compete with other Western Conference powerhouses, as they were eliminated by the Rockets, Nuggets, Clippers, and Mavericks during their time together, never making it out of the second round of the playoffs.
Eventually, the Jazz would decide to blow it up, trading Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a massive haul, and trading Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he has made a home for himself.
Mitchell Becoming A Cavaliers Leader
In the same interview, Mitchell spoke about playing for the Cavaliers. He noted that after years of speculation with the Jazz, Mitchell is happy with his new home in Cleveland Cavaliers. He even rebuffed reports of unhappiness, speaking about his love for the franchise, and wanting to win an NBA championship with them in the next few years.
“For years, everyone has talked about if I like Rudy, or talked about me going to the New York Knicks or the Miami Heat. So, it’s great to finally have that sense of peace.”
“Ideally, if I can paint a picture, I would win a championship at some point over the next five years. It’s hard to win championships. It’s hard to win in this league. Despite public opinion, I love being in Cleveland and I want to win a title with this group.”
Mitchell has been playing brilliant basketball this season, averaging 23.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks while shooting 45.3% from the field, 40.8% from beyond the arc, and 79.8% from the free-throw line.
His solid performances have helped the Cavaliers earn a 26-4 record, the best in the NBA, which puts them on top of the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers were not considered contenders heading into the new season. But with the way they’ve been playing, it’s hard to not consider them just that.
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