Bawse Dawg
Well-Known Member
Just something I was thinking about a bit lately. And figure I would pose it to the smarter people around here. I think we all remember Mitchell's rookie year, and how much fun it was. And looking back with rose colored glasses is absolutely a thing. I want to make this very obvious: Mitchell is a much better all around player now than he was in year 1. In case that obvious fact needed clarification.
That being said. I was remembering his rookie year, and watching him this year. And lots of things just seem different. Mainly I want to talk about how it used to feel like he could get into the paint at will and have insane finishes over, through, and in-between defenders. It happened all the time. And I remember thinking that once he learns to draw contact better he was going to become the best And-1 finisher in the game because he was just so good at making crazy layups. The clips below are games that are ingrained in my head from that season. Specifically because I know he does some spectacular drives to the hoop in each of the games. I don't even think I need to ask the 'Does Donovan still look like this when he plays?' question. I think the answer is obvious. Better questions are What exactly has changed? How much is opponent defense, and how much can Mitchell control? And what is the right balance?
The obvious analysis would be that after his rookie year (and maybe more specifically the 2018 Rockets series) teams learned how to defend his drives better. Exactly what they do differently is a question for better minds. But he gets blocked much more, and just in general seems more limited by his physical stature, and can't make up the difference with his insane athleticism. Mitchell was basically adjusting to this all of last year.
Let's look at the clips:
Game 2 vs the Thunder. Mitchell leads an incredible comeback to tie us up going back to Utah. The spin move and soft touch floater he does at the end is as incredible now as it was then.
Game 2 Thunder
Series finale vs the Thunder. My favorite Mitchell game, and quarter. Just goes absolutely crazy in the third quarter.
Game 6 Thunder
I just always remember this game because we were getting absolutely crushed at one point. And Mitchell led us back with several awesome plays.
Pelicans Game
So watching those clips. How similar does that look to the Mitchell we get on a night to night basis now? And what are the main things that have changed? Part of me thinks he has just increased his arsenal to the point where he doesn't really have a bread and butter move anymore.
What does a Mitchell 'leap' look like? How good can he get? Are his issues mainly size, decision making, opponent defense?
Open discussion. All thoughts, opinions etc welcome. I'm just bored.
That being said. I was remembering his rookie year, and watching him this year. And lots of things just seem different. Mainly I want to talk about how it used to feel like he could get into the paint at will and have insane finishes over, through, and in-between defenders. It happened all the time. And I remember thinking that once he learns to draw contact better he was going to become the best And-1 finisher in the game because he was just so good at making crazy layups. The clips below are games that are ingrained in my head from that season. Specifically because I know he does some spectacular drives to the hoop in each of the games. I don't even think I need to ask the 'Does Donovan still look like this when he plays?' question. I think the answer is obvious. Better questions are What exactly has changed? How much is opponent defense, and how much can Mitchell control? And what is the right balance?
The obvious analysis would be that after his rookie year (and maybe more specifically the 2018 Rockets series) teams learned how to defend his drives better. Exactly what they do differently is a question for better minds. But he gets blocked much more, and just in general seems more limited by his physical stature, and can't make up the difference with his insane athleticism. Mitchell was basically adjusting to this all of last year.
Let's look at the clips:
Game 2 vs the Thunder. Mitchell leads an incredible comeback to tie us up going back to Utah. The spin move and soft touch floater he does at the end is as incredible now as it was then.
Game 2 Thunder
Series finale vs the Thunder. My favorite Mitchell game, and quarter. Just goes absolutely crazy in the third quarter.
Game 6 Thunder
I just always remember this game because we were getting absolutely crushed at one point. And Mitchell led us back with several awesome plays.
Pelicans Game
So watching those clips. How similar does that look to the Mitchell we get on a night to night basis now? And what are the main things that have changed? Part of me thinks he has just increased his arsenal to the point where he doesn't really have a bread and butter move anymore.
What does a Mitchell 'leap' look like? How good can he get? Are his issues mainly size, decision making, opponent defense?
Open discussion. All thoughts, opinions etc welcome. I'm just bored.