MIAMI — Going into his third year in the NBA, Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell has embraced his role as one of the team leaders on the court and in the locker room. His talent and enthusiasm for the game have helped make him a fan favorite and ingratiated him with his teammates. With an early season injury to point guard Mike Conley, Mitchell has had to step into the point guard role. It’s been a learning process, but one he’s welcomed.
Though he accepted the new role, it hasn’t been without its bumps along the way — but Mitchell has always been willing to own up to his miscues on the court — a sign of maturity recognized by his teammates, said center Rudy Gobert.
“We can see it annoy him. He’s already been trying to move the ball more and get his teammates going and everyone can feel it,” Gobert said. “When he does that, he’s still aggressive in getting to the basket and making plays for us but he also helps everyone else to be better.
“The greatest players, we take a lot of responsibilities for the (things on the court), for the losses and for the mistakes. We need that from everyone,” he added.
Head coach Quin Snyder said Mitchell is continually developing his all-around skills, which is a testament to his desire to improve.
“Don’s really unselfish and when you’re as offensively talented as Donovan is and you’re also asked to play the point, you have to find a balance, and I think he’s doing a really good job,” Snyder said. “His understanding of that is really taking steps.”
Mitchell said though he is happy with his play at the point, he knows he can still improve.
“I’ve got to take my time and just be able to find my teammates, continue to be better. There is a lot more I can do a lot (and) there are a lot of things I’ve done wrong, so I’ve got to be able to make those adjustments and get better,” Mitchell said. “Things like making the wrong read or turning the ball over, (mistakes) that I shouldn’t normally make — stuff like that.”
With such keen self-awareness at such a young age, he seems to be well on his way to being an even better version of himself.