On December 7, Beijing time, the Jazz currently ranks third in the West with 16 wins and 7 losses, and Mitchell has won the title of Player of the Week for the third time in his career. Recently, Mitchell appeared on the cover of issue 235 of the famous basketball magazine “SLAM” and accepted an interview.
Donovan Mitchell has come to the fifth season of his career. He has set himself a task in his heart-to win the first NBA championship in team history.
“Winning a championship in Utah is not a common occurrence,” Mitchell said. “This is not like the Lakers who have won 17 championships in team history. This is us, a team that has never won a championship. So, this will How meaningful? If you pay attention to Leonard going to the Raptors three or four seasons ago, this is really a very special moment, for the whole country and for the team. It’s very exciting, We want to be the last team. There are many reasons for this, but the most important thing is-we want to bring the team’s first championship.”
“When I entered the league, it was a surprise.” Mitchell was selected by the Jazz with the 13th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, and has gradually become the core of the team in recent years. “I have always told everyone that the draft is one That’s true, but being able to lead the team to victory year after year and day after day is another matter. I think this is what makes players become top players. This is my goal every year, every year. Better, everyone knows what to expect from me every year. I think I learned it in my rookie season and I need to keep training. And I must stick to it, and I can’t stop just because I have a good season or played a good game. .”
In the rookie season, Mitchell was able to score 20+ back-to-back in the eighth game of the season. In December, Mitchell scored a career-high 41 points against the Pelicans, becoming the first since Griffin in the 2011 season. A rookie with a 40+ score also broke the Jazz history record. At the end of the season, Mitchell averaged 20.5 points per game, was selected for the Rookie of the Year, and became one of the Rookie of the Year candidates.
“Slow down. You need to understand the game and let the game feel like you find yourself.” When asked what he learned as a rookie, Mitchell replied, “You can’t be in a hot state in every game. You can play in 82 games. Adjust my rhythm. I don’t want to say too much to my young self, because if there were no bumps on the road, without those mistakes, successes and victories, I wouldn’t be who I am now. Maybe if I learned something earlier, I’m now It will be better. But I think for me, overcoming these mistakes and experiencing these things has made me who I am now.”
In Mitchell’s third season, he got better and better. He went from a rookie with 20.5 points per game to an All-Star player with career highs in almost every stat. He averaged 24 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, his dunks exploded more and more, his layups became more and more adept, and his back pass with Gobert became easier and easier.
In the playoffs of that season, the Jazz and the Nuggets competed in the Bubble Park. Mitchell got phenomenal data. He broke Karl Malone’s record of scoring in the playoffs in team history, scoring 57 points in G1 and 51 points in G4. However, the Jazz lost to the Nuggets in the tiebreak and bid farewell to the playoffs.
The 2020-21 season is a new start, and it is also Mitchell’s season of revenge. His scoring average once again reached a career high of 26.4 points and 5.2 assists. His three-point range is also longer, and with his athletic talent and organizational ability, Mitchell has become more and more unstoppable.
Mitchell suffered an ankle injury in April that left him out of 16 games. He returned in May just in time for the playoffs. The Jazz achieved the league’s best record (52 wins and 20 losses) for the first time in team history that season, and also ranked first in the Western Conference. They eliminated Memphis 4-1 in the first round and faced the Clippers in the second round. Mitchell started his own playoff mode, scored 45 points in the second round of G1, and scored more than 30 points in the next three games. Once again, Mitchell’s efforts are far from enough for them to go further in the playoffs.
“I have never watched the subsequent games until G6 in the finals.” When asked how emotional he was after the elimination, Mitchell replied frankly, “It really doesn’t look right to me, I feel we There is also a chance to reach the finals. But this gives me another opportunity to sit down calmly and watch the game from a different angle. Because I was injured, I need to recover before training. I need to use a different one throughout the offseason. Way to approach the game.”
During the offseason, Mitchell spent all his time on the power room and the court during the offseason, letting his frustration free. These training sessions became his soothing space, and the loss of the playoffs became the motivation for him.
“It’s like adding fuel to the fire. We reached the second round, so how should we reach the Western Conference Finals? How do we win the Western Conference Finals? We lost the first round in G7 two years ago. All seasons have found a way to get better. If you let failure swallow you, it will prevent you from achieving your goals. So for me, it can be the flame that ignites me, the flame that ignites our team. Step onto the court, Work hard to improve in every aspect that the individual and the team need.” Mitchell said.
This season ushered in another opportunity, the Jazz can build on the basis of the past few years. It’s still early in the season, but the Jazz made a pretty good start. They are currently 15-7 and ranked third in the Western Conference.
“We are a really good team, but we should have performed at the right time.” Mitchell said, “This is not a secret, this is the most important thing. We performed very well in the regular season, also We succeeded in the playoffs, but we have not achieved the final success. We have not broken through the second round of the playoffs. This is who we are in our eyes.”
“Of course, we hope to be able to pass the second round, the conference finals and the finals. So for me, this is our goal. We must be able to effectively not skip any step of the year. We must To continue to experience what we have experienced and take care of everything that needs to be taken care of, we must be ready at all times.”
As for Mitchell’s own personal goals, his mentality has remained the same from day one. Although he is expected to have better statistics than last season, it is still not about his personal honor.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get the Rookie of the Year in 2018, and I didn’t make the All-NBA Team last season, even though I think I should be selected.” Mitchell said, “But for me, winning is the best. Important. Winning means everything. If you can win, be able to reach the top of the Western Conference, and be at the forefront of the league, then everything will follow. For me, I understand that everything is not about me personally, many people You can win a lot of individual awards but you can’t always win the championship. And my goal is to win the championship.”Return to Sohu to see more
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