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The Donovan Mitchell Hype Thread! (repository of highlights and effusive praise)

framer said:
Playing Defense on the lower levels, rec league, and church ball is pretty damn easy. At higher levels people will use screens and rubs to remove you as a defender which means that not only do you have to pay attention to your man, you have to be generally aware of the players nearby. Teammates can call out a screen, but if you are not aware of the screen before it is called, it may already be too late. That is why you can't just "athletic" good defense and it is a reason that Exum runs into problems playing team defense. Old school reaction to "screen!" would be to add a little physicality to the collision in order to bounce the direction you want to go and perhaps punish the screener. Many others would simply switch. Carlos Boozer and Enes Kanter would generally be defeated. Fighting through screens with NBA level athletes is not easy, and says something about the players that do it.

Most NBA players would be terrific defenders one on one against schlubs. To be an all-NBA defender you need to have rare athleticism and an uncommon mental skill set. That is why you rarely see poor defenders morph into good defenders. It isn't as simple as developing your shot.
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I used to love to watch Stockton fight around/through screens.
 
JazzMan4Life said:
I always get a kick outta this one. Screening Shaq is no easy task.
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Two thought that immediately came to mind. One, Stock never feared a player in his life. You gotta think that at this point, Shaq is almost twice his weight.

The other one is that on any other team at this time, Jeff Hornacek would've been the best passer.
 
The previous comment about great two way-players. Great two way players are rare. If you are one, then you are a hall of famer. Scottie Pippen, Gary Payton, Wilt Chamberlion. Is Donovan Mitchell a potential hall of famer? That's what the hype would lead you to believe - Damien Lilliard and Avery Bradley - that's a hall of fame player. He is not!

There is a limit to great one on one defense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSrc7AYlzIg

There has to be the ability to do it in the concept of a team. And even that, you are not going to be able to stop everybody. You need great one on one defense, team defense and something else to counter on the offensive end.
 
Mitchell listed by ESPN as one of six rookies most likely to outperform their draft position. The other five are: Dennis Smith Jr., John Collins, Justin Jackson, Jarrett Allen and Kyle Kuzma.

http://insider.espn.com/nba/insider...-outshine-their-nba-draft-pick-2017-18-season

Donovan Mitchell | SG | Utah Jazz

Draft pick: No. 13 overall

Upside: Mitchell is a long, energetic and physical athlete who will find his way onto the floor with his defense and provide an instant spark offensively with his shot-making. Not the most polished decision-maker, Mitchell has his gunner moments, but his frenetic style usually generates more positive than negative results and he's likely to quickly become a fan favorite in Salt Lake City.

Landing behind the likes of Frank Ntilikina, Malik Monk, Zach Collins & Co., Mitchell should play an important role on a fairly successful team while showing the potential to become a top-10 player out of the 2017 draft class.

Situation: Even with the loss of Gordon Hayward, Utah is still a balanced, veteran team with a fair amount of accomplished guards and wings. Still, the Jazz could use Mitchell's defensive versatility and quick-hitting scoring off the bench.

Mitchell makes winning plays, checks up to three positions, works hard and can shift momentum when he gets hot from 3, which should make it difficult for head coach Quin Snyder to keep the rookie guard off the floor. Snyder wants defensive toughness, and Mitchell is well-suited for a sixth man role on a competitive team. With Ricky Rubio, Dante Exum, Thabo Sefolosha, Rudy Gobert and Ekpe Udoh, the Jazz have several different potential plus-defenders on this roster, and Mitchell should slide in seamlessly.

Key stat: Made 2.9 3-pointers per 40 minutes at 35.4 percent as a sophomore, up by more than 10 percent from his freshman year.
 
Well clearly when the best player in the draft goes at number 13, he's going to outperform his position. :-)
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNvQktb8aVo

Way back during his Freshman season I posted this video of Mitchell. Had to have been the first mention/footage of him on this site. I might have deleted it though.
 
It sure looks to me like he's going to be a scorer in the league, like Lillard and McCollum. He has too many weapons not to. He's explosive enough to drive by most guys, and he can create space with a pull-up on a dime, or with a step back/side step. He's got a sweet combination of shooting touch, strength, explosiveness and a bit of shiftiness. If he becomes a guy who can create for others with the ball in his hands, he's a complete player.
 
phippsj said:
I try to keep expectations in check, but the guy is making it impossible not to have high hopes.
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