The Utah Jazz have surprised basically everyone in the NBA world with their 6-2 start, with one notable exception.
Former guard Donovan Mitchell.
In a recent interview with Heavy Sports, Mitchell gushed about the new-look Jazz for their start to the season. He thinks the team not only has good veteran leadership, but also players that can flat out play basketball.
“They got hoopers,” Mitchell said in the interview. “I don’t know why everybody was so quick to write them off. I think they got phenomenal leaders in that locker room. Mike Conley is a phenomenal leader. Jordan Clarkson is a phenomenal leader.
“Then they got Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen, guys who can really go … Malik Beasley. Like, they’re just not some slump. They have guys that can really go.”
Mitchell said he speaks with Conley and Clarkson “all the time” and that the two are still his friends despite his trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers in September. He thinks fans may have “overreacted” to the Jazz trading, Rudy Gobert and Bojan Bogdanović.
“You know, I think the world was shocked, because we traded me and Rudy and Bojan, and so I think they expected it to go south, and it’s not the case,” Mitchell said. “I got a lot of respect for those guys over there.”
Mitchell’s been playing inspired basketball with his new team, averaging 32.2 points and 7.3 assists. He’s also shooting 45.5% from the 3-point line. The Cavs are 5-1 and second in the Eastern Conference.
