Donovan Mitchell was selected at No. 13 by the Jazz in June’s NBA Draft, passed over by some teams and overlooked by a handful of executives. His start to the 2017-18 season has been tumultuous — while he’s averaging 13 points per game along with some good defense, he’s shot just 35 percent in his first 11 games.
Regardless of his slow start, Mitchell, an athletic scoring wing, possesses a great deal of potential. At just 21 years old, Mitchell decided earlier in the year to remain in the draft and opt not to return to school. A big reason why he made this decision? The advice given to him by Rockets guard Chris Paul and Thunder forward Paul George.
“He’s actually, him and Paul George, are the main reasons why I’m here,” Mitchell said, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “They told me I should definitely stay in the draft and had a big influence on my decision. Being at that camp, I learned a lot. He told me the game’s going to have to start slowing down before success is going to come.
“I worked out with him pretty much all summer, learned a lot.”
Mitchell has put forward some solid games during the season’s first few weeks, including a 28-point outing against Portland last week, followed by a 25-point outing against Toronto the next game.
“There’s a lot going on,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “His development is going to continue. It’s happening at a pretty quick pace. I said before the season I don’t want to put a ceiling on it and bring him along slowly. But I also want to be conscious of the fact we’re asking a lot of a young guy. So that means being demanding of him and also being patient with him and understanding the growth process.”
