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Revisiting Donovan Mitchell Game 6 vs Thunder

Tom Pitt

Tom Pitt

Well-Known Member


All right, so I was talking to a friend from work and he said something I thought was interesting. And was wanting get a pulse on the consensus of well thought intelligent Jazz fans (Not all of you meet that criteria but I'll accept your thoughts too. You don't know who you are anyway.. Kidding guys. Come on). So we were talking about game 6 vs the Thunder and he said

"that's the thing about Mitchell that is different than stars we've had in the passed. He single handedly won that game for us. If we have Hayward, AK or Deron Williams as our star, we lose that game."

Thoughts?
 
He was the key to that game, no question, but of course the supporting cast was crucial. Favs hit a key jumper in the waning minutes. Gobert was playing like a defensive wizard. Ingles was running point half the time, and doing so with great skill. Burks came in and hit some crucial shots.

But yeah, that was an incredible performance, especially for a rookie, especially without the starting PG. So many incredible plays. I love watching game 6. I've watched sections of it a dozen or more times over the summer.
 
Tom Pitt said:


All right, so I was talking to a friend from work and he said something I thought was interesting. And was wanting get a pulse on the consensus of well thought intelligent Jazz fans (Not all of you meet that criteria but I'll accept your thoughts too. You don't know who you are anyway.. Kidding guys. Come on). So we were talking about game 6 vs the Thunder and he said

"that's the thing about Mitchell that is different than stars we've had in the passed. He single handedly won that game for us. If we have Hayward, AK or Deron Williams as our star, we lose that game."

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

*well-thought, intelligent
*thoughts, too.
*past (not passed)

Since we're calling out intelligence in this thread, I thought I'd help raise the bar a little.
 
That game was nothing short of inspired. It is a 10-year vet all-star in a rookie's body. Some of those moves are next-level. The hesitation stutter-steps in traffic and his use of english is nothing short of wizardry. Cannot wait for the season to start!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Gordon had a game against the clips in the playoffs where he dropped like 40.. we lost, but he was awesome. The difference is he did it on 21 shots... don't think he could have gotten many more. I think if DM has a night where he is hot he can get many more shots up.

The fact that DM did it as a rookie is the mind-boggling point. Hayward, D-Will and others took much more time... Good things coming and this game was definitely a great indicator that DM is different.
 
NAOS said:
*well-thought, intelligent
*thoughts, too.
*past (not passed)

Since we're calling out intelligence in this thread, I thought I'd help raise the bar a little.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't accept anything less from you NAOS. You do you!
 
Handlogten's Heros said:
Gordon had a game against the clips in the playoffs where he dropped like 40.. we lost, but he was awesome. The difference is he did it on 21 shots... don't think he could have gotten many more. I think if DM has a night where he is hot he can get many more shots up.

The fact that DM did it as a rookie is the mind-boggling point. Hayward, D-Will and others took much more time... Good things coming and this game was definitely a great indicator that DM is different.
Click to expand...
I had a thought. I know we have reconciled the idea that, had Hayward signed here, It wouldn’t have left as big of a vacuum for Mitchell to fill. However, what if, instead of Donovan going in the first game because Hood was out, he went in because Hayward broke his leg, and now we just have him returning this season?

But then we wouldn’t have Crowder so **** that guy. What was I thinking?
 
infection said:
I had a thought. I know we have reconciled the idea that, had Hayward signed here, It wouldn’t have left as big of a vacuum for Mitchell to fill. However, what if, instead of Donovan going in the first game because Hood was out, he went in because Hayward broke his leg, and now we just have him returning this season?

But then we wouldn’t have Crowder so **** that guy. What was I thinking?
Click to expand...

I’d take Hayward on this team but you are right... eff that dooood.
 
Donovan plays with such poise, it is incredible. He almost always makes the right read. When they had him trapped, he did not panic and force up a fade away, or try to play hero ball. Instead, be passed the ball to his open teammate. That level of trust in his teammates makes everyone better. I first noticed it in the Toronto game, where he hit RR for the open triple. He plays team ball, even when he is the focus. I would not say he won this game single handedly. But it was a signature win. We don't win without him taking over in the third period. Nor do we win without DFavs clutch deuce at the end. Both of those things are signs DM plays the game the right way.

Can't wait to see what this season holds for the mighty Utah Jazz.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using JazzFanz mobile app
 
Tom Pitt said:


All right, so I was talking to a friend from work and he said something I thought was interesting. And was wanting get a pulse on the consensus of well thought intelligent Jazz fans (Not all of you meet that criteria but I'll accept your thoughts too. You don't know who you are anyway.. Kidding guys. Come on). So we were talking about game 6 vs the Thunder and he said

"that's the thing about Mitchell that is different than stars we've had in the passed. He single handedly won that game for us. If we have Hayward, AK or Deron Williams as our star, we lose that game."

Thoughts?
Click to expand...


LifeOnaPlate said:
He was the key to that game, no question, but of course the supporting cast was crucial. Favs hit a key jumper in the waning minutes. Gobert was playing like a defensive wizard. Ingles was running point half the time, and doing so with great skill. Burks came in and hit some crucial shots.

But yeah, that was an incredible performance, especially for a rookie, especially without the starting PG. So many incredible plays. I love watching game 6. I've watched sections of it a dozen or more times over the summer.
Click to expand...

Before I canned my league pass after summer league, i'd probably re-watched a couple of the games from that series two or three times, you have to sit there and remind yourself that this kid is a rookie just unbelievable.
 
Tom Pitt said:


"that's the thing about Mitchell that is different than stars we've had in the passed. He single handedly won that game for us. If we have Hayward, AK or Deron Williams as our star, we lose that game."

Thoughts?
Click to expand...


Excellent thought. Mitchell definitely took over that game and willed a win. Players in the NBA that can do that are very rare. Players that can do that as rookies???? I don't think they exist!

I remember watching Kobe when he was young and talented but didn't have the ability to take over a game and win it. A few years in, he figured it out and he would get that Kobe glare in the 4th quarter and you knew a win for the Jazz was very unlikely. That look where he was going to eat someone's soul. I also remember a Kings/Lakers game where Webber was playing phenomenal basketball but down the stretch of the fourth quarter Kobe got the death glare and when things didn't go Webber's way he'd shrug his shoulders, clap his hands and act disappointed. You could tell he was very good at bball, but mentally weaker than Kobe.

I'm not sure Mitchell wants to eat souls yet (usually it takes a few disappointing playoff series looses to develop that, e.g Kevin Durant) but he's got something there. He gets in his own head and destroys everything in his path. Sometimes I think you can see a physical change in him. I don't know if I'm describing it right, but it's like he cocks his head a quarter of an inch forward (not a very good explanation, but it's real! I'll try and find an example...it usually happens in the 4th quarter) My wife and I have started identifying it by saying "his spidey senses have kicked in".

He is special. Rookies don't do what he did (well, actually I think LeBron did, but can anyone else think of a rookie that did this in the playoffs? Maybe Derrick Rose?) He wasn't able to do it against James Harden and the Rockets, but we'll see what he can do 3 years from now.


------------------
I originally wanted to post that I agree Hayward and AK couldn't take over games, but DWill could (not closeout Playoff games though...)

How about this thought... Rookie Spidad vs Prime DWill??
 
JFFR said:
Excellent thought. Mitchell definitely took over that game and willed a win. Players in the NBA that can do that are very rare. Players that can do that as rookies???? I don't think they exist!

I remember watching Kobe when he was young and talented but didn't have the ability to take over a game and win it. A few years in, he figured it out and he would get that Kobe glare in the 4th quarter and you knew a win for the Jazz was very unlikely. That look where he was going to eat someone's soul. I also remember a Kings/Lakers game where Webber was playing phenomenal basketball but down the stretch of the fourth quarter Kobe got the death glare and when things didn't go Webber's way he'd shrug his shoulders, clap his hands and act disappointed. You could tell he was very good at bball, but mentally weaker than Kobe.

I'm not sure Mitchell wants to eat souls yet (usually it takes a few disappointing playoff series looses to develop that, e.g Kevin Durant) but he's got something there. He gets in his own head and destroys everything in his path. Sometimes I think you can see a physical change in him. I don't know if I'm describing it right, but it's like he ****s his head a quarter of an inch forward (not a very good explanation, but it's real! I'll try and find an example...it usually happens in the 4th quarter) My wife and I have started identifying it by saying "his spidey senses have kicked in".

He is special. Rookies don't do what he did (well, actually I think LeBron did, but can anyone else think of a rookie that did this in the playoffs? Maybe Derrick Rose?) He wasn't able to do it against James Harden and the Rockets, but we'll see what he can do 3 years from now.


------------------
I originally wanted to post that I agree Hayward and AK couldn't take over games, but DWill could (not closeout Playoff games though...)

How about this thought... Rookie Spidad vs Prime DWill??
Click to expand...
Let's not forget that Houston series swung in Game one when Donovan Twisted his ankle, and in the process of twisting it had a Houston player step on it. When I saw that live, I thought he was done for...that there was no way he could come back. He walked it off and did not miss a play. But I think it hampered him for the rest of the series. ( ...not to mention the other key players who were out. He doesn't need to always do it himself. In fact, it is better if he continues to make the right read and keep the others involved.) He will have the "death glare" as you call it, but it will be more Jordan than Kobe...Steve Kerr, John Paxson game winners anyone? (Not to bring up bad memories)
 
Prior to Mitchell we didn't have anyone who wanted to take clutch 4th quarter shots on a consistent basis. Haywood was scared to. Now Allen claims to want to be that guy. To have two clutch 4th quarter shooters (if GA can do that at this level) would be huge.
 
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