The Donovan Mitchell Hype Thread! (repository of highlights and effusive praise)

[Tom Pitt]

I'm inclined to pump the breaks on DM. My heart tells me he's gonna be a star but my head keeps thinking about a few weaknesses I wonder if he'll be able to overcome.

1-Poor shot selection
2-40% from field in college
3-2 foot jumper (Has there ever been an instance when a 2 foot jumper got to the NBA and figured out the 1 foot jump thing?? not a rhetorical question. I'm seriously asking)
4-6'3 shooting guard. Locke has pointed this out a lot. Not a lot of 6'3 shooting guards who are dominant... Is he a PG?

 

[LifeOnaPlate]

I love watching the hype for DM almost as much as I liked watching him in SL. I have high hopes but tempered expectations. Stay humble

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I'm inclined to pump the breaks on DM. My heart tells me he's gonna be a star but my head keeps thinking about a few weaknesses I wonder if he'll be able to overcome.

1-Poor shot selection
2-40% from field in college
3-2 foot jumper (Has there ever been an instance when a 2 foot jumper got to the NBA and figured out the 1 foot jump thing?? not a rhetorical question. I'm seriously asking)
4-6'3 shooting guard. Locke has pointed this out a lot. Not a lot of 6'3 shooting guards who are dominant... Is he a PG?

He will never be as good off 1 foot as he is 2. It's not like he never jumps off 1 foot though, he just cant explode off it like he can 2.

 

[elan_prodigy]

I'm inclined to pump the breaks on DM. My heart tells me he's gonna be a star but my head keeps thinking about a few weaknesses I wonder if he'll be able to overcome.

1-Poor shot selection
2-40% from field in college
3-2 foot jumper (Has there ever been an instance when a 2 foot jumper got to the NBA and figured out the 1 foot jump thing?? not a rhetorical question. I'm seriously asking)
4-6'3 shooting guard. Locke has pointed this out a lot. Not a lot of 6'3 shooting guards who are dominant... Is he a PG?

Poor shot selection is the least of my worries, DM seems to be a real team first guy and will WANT to work within our offense. This rolls right into a higher shooting % imo, if he works within Quin's offense he'll get easier/open looks and his shooting % will reflect that. Wasn't he in the 95 percentile on open 3's last year??

 

[Tom Pitt]

He will never be as good off 1 foot as he is 2. It's not like he never jumps off 1 foot though, he just cant explode off it like he can 2.

Elaborate on this for me. Because, the 2 foot jumper thing seems to be presented in 2 ways.

1-He must learn how to become a 1 foot jumper, but this is extremely hard to learn but physically he can still be explosive doing it. It's just learning the skill is incredibly hard (Learning how to make plays off one foot in the paint.)

2-If you are a 2 foot jumper you are not as athletic as one foot jumpers so you are limited. So Mitchell will rarely show explosion to the basket in the NBA because 2 foot jumpers don't have adequate time to make plays and he is not athletic enough to be a one foot jumper.

So which is it? Perhaps I am misinterpreting the 1st point. Perhaps what people are really implying is that DM is not athletic enough to be a one foot jumper so he will have to learn to finish around the basket/in the paint off one foot with more tricks, anticipation, and skill like say a Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Tony Parker or John Stockton and you'd think since he is as fast and longer he could do this well but learning the skill will be extremely hard and only hall of fame short guys figure it out basically.

So basically Mitchell isn't explosive unless he's jumping off 2 feet so we shouldn't think of him as an elite leaper in the NBA game?

but if we conclude that guys who are 2 foot jumpers are only 2 foot jumpers because they lack the athletic ability to be a 1 foot jumper it doesn't quite make sense when you consider Mitchell had the highest no step vertical. Shouldn't the guys who are elite leapers off one foot have a higher vertical off 2 feet?

Saint CY... Give me God's truth here...

 

[whatthe]

It is mentally fatiguing to be pro-active on defense. It is equally mentally fatiguing to be the focal point on offense. It is similar to writing a thesis in college. Yes, most college students can do it, but not all the time and when they do it is extremely taxing on the system. However, there are a handful of students who can easily write a thesis, but they are rare. Donovan could be a basketball player who easily engages in high level defense, but normally it wears a player down. He can be also a player who can be the focal point of the offense but that usually fatigues a player. Can Donovan be a player that easily does both? I don't think there has EVER been a player who can both be a defensive and offensive star at the same time. It has never happened - and it hasn't happened for a reason.

 

[fishonjazz]

It is mentally fatiguing to be pro-active on defense. It is equally mentally fatiguing to be the focal point on offense. It is similar to writing a thesis in college. Yes, most college students can do it, but not all the time and when they do it is extremely taxing on the system. However, there are a handful of students who can easily write a thesis, but they are rare. Donovan could be a basketball player who easily engages in high level defense, but normally it wears a player down. He can be also a player who can be the focal point of the offense but that usually fatigues a player. Can Donovan be a player that easily does both? I don't think there has EVER been a player who can both be a defensive and offensive star at the same time. It has never happened - and it hasn't happened for a reason.

I think jordan was a defensive and offensive star. Lebron too. Maybe d wade? (Can't remember if he was a great defender) definitely hakeem olijuwan.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Elaborate on this for me. Because, the 2 foot jumper thing seems to be presented in 2 ways.

1-He must learn how to become a 1 foot jumper, but this is extremely hard to learn but physically he can still be explosive doing it. It's just learning the skill is incredibly hard (Learning how to make plays off one foot in the paint.)

2-If you are a 2 foot jumper you are not as athletic as one foot jumpers so you are limited. So Mitchell will rarely show explosion to the basket in the NBA because 2 foot jumpers don't have adequate time to make plays and he is not athletic enough to be a one foot jumper.

So which is it? Perhaps I am misinterpreting the 1st point. Perhaps what people are really implying is that DM is not athletic enough to be a one foot jumper so he will have to learn to finish around the basket/in the paint off one foot with more tricks, anticipation, and skill like say a Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Tony Parker or John Stockton and you'd think since he is as fast and longer he could do this well but learning the skill will be extremely hard and only hall of fame short guys figure it out basically.

So basically Mitchell isn't explosive unless he's jumping off 2 feet so we shouldn't think of him as an elite leaper in the NBA game?

but if we conclude that guys who are 2 foot jumpers are only 2 foot jumpers because they lack the athletic ability to be a 1 foot jumper it doesn't quite make sense when you consider Mitchell had the highest no step vertical. Shouldn't the guys who are elite leapers off one foot have a higher vertical off 2 feet?

Saint CY... Give me God's truth here...

Jumping is only one part of athleticism... he can go to the basket off of one foot, but when he makes the spectacular dunk it will likely be off of two feet. It is a significant limitation on some plays but his speed (lateral and otherwise) plus his change of direction and coordination are pretty damn good.

Marcus Smart is a notable two foot jumper... that is not his major limitation though. If he could shoot he'd likely be a damn good player, but that limitation plus the two foot jumping really hurts him.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Utah Jazz twitter feed posted a video of Mitchell playing golf w/ John Collins and Jordan Bell. Mitchell actually swings left handed, which is wild considering he plays basketball right handed.

I dont golf, but is that a hard thing to do? I imagine he must have been a switch hitter in baseball if he can do that.

It is extremely hard. Golf is very much about mechanics and muscle memory... I occasionally hit a left handed shot when in trouble, but it is about as comfortable as writing left handed. I think it bodes well that he is comfortable with his left hand... finishing with both hands around the basket (comfortably) is such a huge advantage.

 

[framer]

I think jordan was a defensive and offensive star. Lebron too. Maybe d wade? (Can't remember if he was a great defender) definitely hakeem olijuwan.

Gary Payton was a star on both ends. Also Scotty Pippen.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Gary Payton was a star on both ends. Also Scotty Pippen.

Couldn't stand the guy when we played him but damn he was good. He would murder it in today's game too. Would love to see prime curry and prime Payton go at it.

 

[fishonjazz]

Couldn't stand the guy when we played him but damn he was good. He would murder it in today's game too. Would love to see prime curry and prime Payton go at it.

The glove is one of my all time favorites. Loved him growing up. Tim hardaway was another one of my favs