Donovan Mitchell Thread

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Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#1 » by MTJazzv3 » Tue Jun 27, 2017 1:13 am

Talk about lazy "journalism", I'm starting this off with a SLC Dunk post on the topic, which between the lead, interviews and fan posts had a lot of interesting things and good points. https://www.slcdunk.com/2017/6/26/15871208/2017-nba-draft-dennis-lindsey-free-agency-point-guard-donovan-mitchell-george-hill-patrick-beverley?utm_content=buffer63c33&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Here is the thing that makes my heart beat a bit fast - putting him in the back court with Ex. Who is PG and who is SG is superfluous - both are gazelle athletes with huge wing spans and a desire to play D. My guess is the reason Ex is playing SL is to get these guys flowing together sooner than later as at minimum the bench back court. Q is a smart guy - he has those two on the floor the same time and hellz yeah he's gonna get a little rabbit ball going on. Now, if we just knew who the #1 vet PG is going to be. I could easily go Rubio or Teo at this point for the change-up ball assuming Hill is gone. Nice mix and match opportunities.

But, a guy like Donovan deserves his own thread here and I'm sure heads will either turn or panic will set in when he plays in SL next week. Haven't been this stoked about a Jazz pick since Hood - (who I thought was a steal but jury is out for me now).
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#2 » by Winglish » Tue Jun 27, 2017 4:28 am

1. Rodney Hood was a steal. If he can get healthy he will come around. I think he is streaky but when Rod gets hot there is no stopping him. Some guys are streaky like that and you have to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em, so to speak. Mitchell brings another option to put into the game.

2. Donovan Mitchell is going to be a kick ass defender in the NBA for many years. His shooting form is beautiful, just gorgeous, but he seems to step into it rather than catching and shooting, so that is problematic as far as getting shots off quickly. Coaches will work with him on that ad nauseum.
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#3 » by UTJazzFan_Echo1 » Tue Jun 27, 2017 4:40 am

I'm as excited as anyone to have Mitchell, but I think we need to temper our expectations. Lets not forget that he's a rookie. He'll likely be a below average player for the next couple seasons at the least.
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#4 » by Daddy 801 » Tue Jun 27, 2017 4:58 am

Winglish wrote:1. Rodney Hood was a steal. If he can get healthy he will come around. I think he is streaky but when Rod gets hot there is no stopping him. Some guys are streaky like that and you have to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em, so to speak. Mitchell brings another option to put into the game.

2. Donovan Mitchell is going to be a kick ass defender in the NBA for many years. His shooting form is beautiful, just gorgeous, but he seems to step into it rather than catching and shooting, so that is problematic as far as getting shots off quickly. Coaches will work with him on that ad nauseum.


Nice catch on the step in. He does. Hadn't noticed.
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#5 » by KqWIN » Tue Jun 27, 2017 6:16 am

I've been watching more film on him, and the thing that jumps out most to me is that he is tiny! I know what his wingspan is, but the more important measure when it comes to contesting shots is his standing reach. He has a longer wingspan than Exum, but his standing reach is still 6 inches shorter. I think that will diminish his effectiveness on defense because he'll only be able to guard PG's. Avery Bradley is as good as it gets as a defender, but even he struggles to guard bigger guys. He can be an elite defender against PG's, but like Bradley, his value will be diminished playing against wings.

On the other hand, his shot looks great. I believe it will go in at the next level. His craftiness around the hoop is a little better than I expected, as well as his shooting off the dribble, but I'm not sure those things will ever be a strength of his. Hopefully he'll get some good coaching and expand his game around the basket. Exum has taken huge strides with his ability to finish around the basket, so I'm hopeful that the coaching staff can do a good job with Mitchell as well.

His shot comes off so easy and fluid off the dribble. He as a chance to be a 3 point shooter off the dribble, but I probably wouldn't let him do that until he proves to be a great defender. The only danger I see with Mitchell is if he thinks he's a scorer and forgets what his calling card is. Everyone has to learn and commit to being a good defender in order to be one, and if he tunnels on scoring he could end up being an ineffective player.

Another thing that worries me is how he fits in our slow pace. If the Jazz actually want to transition stops into basket, Mitchell is great, but if we continue to walk the ball up the court Mitchell will have a hard time being effective. The hectic style that Louisville played allowed him to shine, but it is the exact opposite approach that Utah took. The Jazz are conservative on offense, defense, and in transition. It's going to be hard for him to shine if we don't have a slight change in philosophy.

Overall, my opinion of him is probably a little bit better than it was on draft night, but I still don't think of him as a special prospect in relation to his draft position. He seems like mid round prospect to me and that's exactly where he went. Due to his attitude, character, and athleticism I think he is a very safe pick. He will be a rotation guy in the league and fall somewhere in between Galloway - Bradley.
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#6 » by stitches » Tue Jun 27, 2017 12:14 pm

KqWIN wrote:I've been watching more film on him, and the thing that jumps out most to me is that he is tiny! I know what his wingspan is, but the more important measure when it comes to contesting shots is his standing reach. He has a longer wingspan than Exum, but his standing reach is still 6 inches shorter. I think that will diminish his effectiveness on defense because he'll only be able to guard PG's. Avery Bradley is as good as it gets as a defender, but even he struggles to guard bigger guys. He can be an elite defender against PG's, but like Bradley, his value will be diminished playing against wings.


I wouldn't say he's tiny. He's actually pretty stocky. 211lbs on a 6'3" body is pretty massive(Bradley came in the league at 180lbs). He is very strong too. On the film I watched he was getting switched on 6'6"- 6'7" wings and he was holding his position in the post without much problem. He's not quite Marcus Smart, but he's also not Avery Bradley(he's stronger and bigger than him). Another comparison I've heard about him is Gary Harris and I actually like this one, but I also think Mitchell has some untapped offensive potential. BTW Mitchell had pretty high BLK%, which indicates he's actually pretty good contesting shots. He's weirdly good... rim protector if you can believe that. He jumps around the rim and swats whatever he can get his hands on. He's kind of aggressive like this with his contests in the paint.

For what it's worth I see him looking 'tiny' too in some situations... the best example of this is when he gets in the stance on the wing against a player with the ball looking to pass. In the game I watched there were 3 instances where the player whizzed a pass right over his head to a cutter. If he was a couple of inches taller this pass is much harder to make.

KqWIN wrote:On the other hand, his shot looks great. I believe it will go in at the next level. His craftiness around the hoop is a little better than I expected, as well as his shooting off the dribble, but I'm not sure those things will ever be a strength of his. Hopefully he'll get some good coaching and expand his game around the basket. Exum has taken huge strides with his ability to finish around the basket, so I'm hopeful that the coaching staff can do a good job with Mitchell as well.

His shot comes off so easy and fluid off the dribble. He as a chance to be a 3 point shooter off the dribble, but I probably wouldn't let him do that until he proves to be a great defender. The only danger I see with Mitchell is if he thinks he's a scorer and forgets what his calling card is. Everyone has to learn and commit to being a good defender in order to be one, and if he tunnels on scoring he could end up being an ineffective player.


His jumpshot mechanics are pure! I love them. I guess we need to remember that Trey's mechanics looked pretty good too, but his shot never fell in the league. For what it's worth your worry with him thinking he's a scorer seems unjustified - I've watched several interviews that if he really thinks what he's saying would be music to Dennis and Quin's ears - he repeatedly states that the main way he expects to contribute in the beginning in the league is his defense and knocking down open shots. He also has mentioned that his shot selection was not great in Louisville ... so... at the very least I guess he has the self-awareness to know whare he can get in trouble and avoid those situations at least until his game develops and evolves.

About his jumpshot - he seems to shoot 1-2 shot more often than on the hop(from what I counted about 60% 1-2). This will automatically make him a pariah for coach Nick. :P I don't know if this matters. He's in the 90th percentile on unguarded catch and shoot opportunities, so... whatever he's doing there lets hope he translates it and he will be alright.

KqWIN wrote:Another thing that worries me is how he fits in our slow pace. If the Jazz actually want to transition stops into basket, Mitchell is great, but if we continue to walk the ball up the court Mitchell will have a hard time being effective. The hectic style that Louisville played allowed him to shine, but it is the exact opposite approach that Utah took. The Jazz are conservative on offense, defense, and in transition. It's going to be hard for him to shine if we don't have a slight change in philosophy.

Overall, my opinion of him is probably a little bit better than it was on draft night, but I still don't think of him as a special prospect in relation to his draft position. He seems like mid round prospect to me and that's exactly where he went. Due to his attitude, character, and athleticism I think he is a very safe pick. He will be a rotation guy in the league and fall somewhere in between Galloway - Bradley.


I'd love to see Exum and Mitchell run on the break. I think we can have great transition offense with those. Good thing they are going to experiment with it possibly starting in SL next week.
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#7 » by stitches » Tue Jun 27, 2017 1:24 pm

Donovan Mitchell vs Dennis Smith Jr(held him to 8 pts on 3/12 shooting and 5 turnovers):



He also held Malik Monk to 6/17 shooting in their meeting vs Kentucky.
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#8 » by Hoops Addict » Tue Jun 27, 2017 1:26 pm

Mitchell has huge hops and speed......he finishes alley oops above the rim.
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#9 » by stitches » Tue Jun 27, 2017 2:15 pm



Wait for the end.
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#10 » by Hoops Addict » Tue Jun 27, 2017 2:56 pm

His defense will translate.
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#11 » by stitches » Tue Jun 27, 2017 3:43 pm

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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#12 » by sipclip » Tue Jun 27, 2017 7:09 pm

The more video I watch of Mitchell the more I see the clippers version of Eric Gordon. If he can turn into that caliber of player while keeping Hayward then we could be really good in a couple years.
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#13 » by Catchall » Tue Jun 27, 2017 8:03 pm

The more I look into it, the more Eric Gordon does looks like a decent comp for Mitchell. Measurables in terms of height, weight, length and vertical are comparable. Gordon was a 34% 3-pt shooter in his 1 year at Indiana, while Mitchell shot 35% as a soph. Mitchell's other numbers as a soph, including minutes, assists, steals and FT% are all comparable. If Mitchell can develop well and avoid some of the injuries that Gordon had, we could be looking at a really solid 2-way shooting guard.

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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#14 » by SoCalJazzFan » Tue Jun 27, 2017 8:45 pm

Eric Gordon would be nice, even better if he can play better defense, which he might be able to with the liberty of switching with Exum if all goes according to what we assume is the plan.
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#15 » by Hoops Addict » Tue Jun 27, 2017 10:54 pm

Mitchell alley oop on Kentucky. He is a high flyer.....maybe the biggest dunker among guards.....think he was 4th for highest vertical in the combines.

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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#16 » by bakesale » Tue Jun 27, 2017 11:25 pm

stitches wrote:Donovan Mitchell vs Dennis Smith Jr(held him to 8 pts on 3/12 shooting and 5 turnovers):



He also held Malik Monk to 6/17 shooting in their meeting vs Kentucky.

I love this, even from this short clip you can see he makes the right basketball play.

being a lock down defender and so strong, I think he'll be better than Hood. Hood is better at creating his own shot but I don't rate Hood's defence even if he is taller.

I love this Mitchell guy. He'll be able to guard wings cos of his aggressiveness, strength and footwork. Maybe only Klay could shoot over the top of him but that's about it.
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#17 » by Catchall » Wed Jun 28, 2017 1:03 am

Better offense than Marcus Smart. Better defense than Eric Gordon. Has some real shift and explosion with the ball a la Damian Lillard. He could be really, really good.

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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#18 » by ForeverRDjazz » Wed Jun 28, 2017 1:35 am

Winglish wrote:1. Rodney Hood was a steal. If he can get healthy he will come around. I think he is streaky but when Rod gets hot there is no stopping him. Some guys are streaky like that and you have to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em, so to speak. Mitchell brings another option to put into the game.

2. Donovan Mitchell is going to be a kick ass defender in the NBA for many years. His shooting form is beautiful, just gorgeous, but he seems to step into it rather than catching and shooting, so that is problematic as far as getting shots off quickly. Coaches will work with him on that ad nauseum.



Tiny? Long arms? Can you say quick? Fastest 3/4 quart in the draft. Love speed. LOVE. Easy baskets are great. Should play well with EXum. Will be missing Trey ball and wish him the very best.
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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#19 » by sipclip » Wed Jun 28, 2017 1:59 am

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Re: Donovan Mitchell Thread 

Post#20 » by KqWIN » Wed Jun 28, 2017 4:20 am

I think we need to give Gordon more respect. Gordon especially was a beast around the basket who combo'd that with terrific touch. Mitchell isn't the same player around the basket. He doesn't have the same thrust towards the basket. He's very explosive when nobody is around him, and he a little bit of craftiness, but I don't ever envision him being a threat around the basket.

EG was scoring 16 a game with 59.3% TS at the same age Mitchell was his sophomore year (15 on 54%). You can take some things away in a comparison, but that is a really high bar to live up to. Gordon was a better scorer in the NBA than Mitchell was in the NCAA at the same age. When you talking about Lillard and (young) Eric Gordon, you're talking about some of the best scorers in the NBA.

I just don't see that from Mitchell, and I'm glad he was drafted into a situation where that won't be expected of him. As I was saying before, the only way I think he flames out of the league is if he gets it in his head that he has to score. If he was put into a place that wanted him to become a big time scorer things could get a little dicey. Oladipo suffered some of those side effects in Orlando.

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