The former lottery pick scored nine points and grabbed three rebounds during the 10 minutes he played off the bench to help the Cavaliers beat the Trail Blazers 119-113. He also won the junkyard dog chain for his efforts in his first game since suffering a season-ending torn ACL in December 2021.

“It felt good,” Rubio said of his first game, per ESPN. “It felt weird in the beginning, especially the first time, but after that, it felt back to normal. Of course, rhythm and all that stuff will come, but today was a lot of emotions out there. Working hard all year just to be healthy and grateful to be out there playing basketball again.”

Ricky Rubio with his first bucket of the season!

Welcome back, @rickyrubio9 pic.twitter.com/95Zx4AIGWO

— NBA (@NBA) January 13, 2023

The 32-year-old point guard was a critical part of Cleveland’s success last season. After he suffered his knee injury, he was traded to Indiana for Caris LeVert, but come back via free agency because of the chemistry and camaraderie he saw in Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell, who played with Rubio in Utah, was excited to see his teammate back on the court.

“I couldn’t stop smiling,” Mitchell said. “It felt like my rookie year. For me, it’s just a full-circle moment, but it’s great to see him out there after the ACL. And also, hitting two big 3s for us, leading the offense.”

Never too high, never too low.@ThatsJared | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/TnDCLMMgpp

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 13, 2023

Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters during a pre-game scrum that he wanted to play Rubio in two stints in the first half. However, Rubio played six minutes, so Bickerstaff played Rubio for a third stretch in the third quarter. After the game, Rubio said he felt good physically because the cardio workouts he did in rehab were more challenging than game action.

The Cavs admitted Rubio has been ready to play “for a long time,” but Rubio understood why they held him out. Regardless, Rubio said the process of coming back was “frustrating” but he’s happy to be “playing the game I love,” after 380 days.

“I didn’t work just to come back today,” Rubio said. “I worked hard to come back stronger than ever. It’s not just about today. I’m looking forward to having a strong season, not just a comeback season.”

Cleveland (27-16) is set to play the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road on Saturday.

The post Ricky Rubio Feels ‘Back to Normal’ After Comeback Game appeared first on SLAM.

The only thing is, Atlanta has a STEEP asking price for Atlanta. An Eastern Conference executive reportedly told Heavy Sports that the Hawks want a “big-time return for Collins” and “something in that neighborhood” of what the Utah Jazz received when they traded their All-Star cornerstones, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, over the summer.

Gobert was traded to Minnesota for four first-round picks and one pick swap, while Mitchell was traded to Cleveland for three first-round picks and two pick swaps, Collin Sexton and All-Star candidate Lauri Markkanen.

Collins is averaging 13.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game during the 2022-23 campaign. His lower numbers can be attributed to a new role and adjusting to De’Andre Hunter and Dejounte Murray taking up more shots and opportunities to score. However, Collins was a major contributor to Atlanta making an Eastern Conference Finals run in 2021 and certainly has All-Star talent.

It’ll be interesting to see if any team will take a significant step forward and essentially give the farm away for Collins by the time the trade deadline ticks down. The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly the main team showing interest. The Nets reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Collins during the 2022 NBA Draft and are looking to add a star or “power-forward-like player” heading into the season’s stretch run.

Atlanta will look to build a consecutive win streak when they take on the Bucks on Wednesday.

The post REPORT: Atlanta Wants John Collins Trade Package Similar to What Utah Got for Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell appeared first on SLAM.

He’s become a premier playoff performer during his six postseason tours; however, the Jazz only won two playoff series; Mitchell was a standout and did everything he could to help lead Utah over the hump before they traded him to Cleveland last summer.

Now that trajectory is skyrocketing again after he dropped a Cavaliers franchise record 71 points, career-high tying 11 assists, and eight rebounds in 50 minutes on 22-34 shooting from the field and 7-15 shooting from beyond the arc to lead the Cavaliers to a 145-134 overtime win over the Chicago Bulls. He also hit a career-high 20-25 free throws.

71 PTS
8 REB
11 AST
W

Donovan Mitchell sets a new scoring record for the Cleveland Cavaliers and becomes only the 7th player in NBA history to score 70+ points in a game. pic.twitter.com/qbOwr3sqyH

— NBA (@NBA) January 3, 2023

Mitchell has scored the most points in a game by any player since Hall-of-Famer Kobe Bryant put up 81 points against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006. Then-76ers center and eventual Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain holds the single-game record for most points scored after he scored 100 against the Knicks on March 2, 1962.

“To be there in the record book with guys like Wilt is truly humbling,” said Mitchell, per ESPN. “I always believed I could be one of the best players in the league. I’m speechless and blessed to be in the company of that greatness.”

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Mitchell’s coup-de-grace happened during overtime, as he scored 13 points. He forced overtime after rebounding his intentionally missed free throw and hit a circus shot layup with 3.0 seconds left to tie the game up at 130-all. The clutch bucket broke the Cavaliers’ previous single-game scoring record of 58 points.

Spida is the seventh player in League history to join the 70-point club. Chamberlain did it six times, while Bryant, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, and Booker each scored at least 70 points once.

“We were treated tonight to one of the greatest performances in the history of the game,” Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Every single play that he made was a play that was necessary.

“Donovan has never put himself above the team, so how can you not root for a guy like that? I told everyone else to get out of the way.”

The three-time All-Star scored or assisted on 99 points, the second most in a game in NBA history and the most since Chamberlain’s legendary 100-point outing. His 55 second-half points are tied with Bryant for the most by any player over the past 25 seasons.

The post Donovan Mitchell On His ‘Humbling’ Franchise Record 71-Point Outing appeared first on SLAM.

For over half of his 9-year tenure in Utah, Gobert played alongside Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell. Led by Mitchell’s explosive offense and Gobert’s dominant defensive presence, the Jazz advanced to the postseason for five straight seasons, had the best record in the League in the 2020-21 season, and went 243-147.

While the Spida x Stifle Tower era officially ended in Utah, both parties s be content with their split and happy with their new aspirations.

The former Defensive Player of the Year has continued his dominance in the paint, averaging a double-double with 13.3 points, 11.9 rebounds (third in the League), and 1.3 blocks. On Thursday, Gobert’s post presence was felt in full force as he scored 16 points, ripped down 21 rebounds, and recorded two blocks.

Meanwhile, the Jazz jumped off to a hot start and now sit at 6th in the Western Conference with a 15-12 record. For an expected rebuild season, the Jazz surprised many.

“I’ve been very happy to see them having success,” Gobert said per MSN. “Most people kind of counted them out after trading me and Donovan, and Bojan, too, but there’s still a lot of talent on this team. You can tell that they’re having a lot of fun, and, also, when you don’t have a lot of expectations, you kind of play free. I think that’s what’s been happening for them. They play together; they play free, they play really hard. When you play that way with the level of talent they have, good things happen”.

The center is excited to see his former team winning, and he’s looking forward to stepping into Vivint Arena once again.

“I spent nine years of my life there and created a lot of memories, have a lot of very powerful relationships with people that I love and gave me a lot of love over the years,” Gobert told MacMahon. “It’s going to be weird to walk into the arena and go to the visitor’s locker room, but it’s going to be probably a lot of love and a lot of joy to come back.”

The post Rudy Gobert Says He’s ‘Very Happy’ for Utah’s Early Success appeared first on SLAM.

“He’s Mitchell,” LeBron James said, per ESPN. “He’s a special kid.” 

pic.twitter.com/0lHc7ZjOtw

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 7, 2022

Last season, Cleveland rose to playoff contention thanks to their top-10 defense and All-Star play of Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, but mid-season injuries led to Cleveland collapsing and finishing the season looking to win the play-in tournament to make the postseason. However, the Cavs lost to the Nets in the first play-in game, and then their season was ended by Atlanta Hawks shortly after.

The Cavs went into the offseason knowing they had a recipe for success with their stifling defense and All-Star play, as well as the emerging talent of second-year big man Evan Mobley. When the rebuilding Utah Jazz made Mitchell available via trade, Cleveland swooped in as a partner and has greatly benefitted from the transaction.

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Mitchell has embraced becoming a key leader on this young team and his role as THE featured scorer on a team looking to take the next step. This season, he’s averaging 29.0 points. 4.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game on 49.6 percent shooting from the field and 42.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Cavs rank in the top 10 in offense (113.2 offensive rating) and are the No. 1 defensive team in the League (106.6 defensive rating).

“I think I fit in because I filled a void,” Mitchell said last week after Cleveland played Orlando, per The Athletic. “It’s what was needed. Darius in the backcourt did a lot last year, I’ve been saying that, and did it phenomenally well, but just kind of being in the game on the other side of the backcourt, making life easy for him and vice versa.

“It’s a comfortability thing coming into that situation, and then (coach) J.B. (Bickerstaff) going out and saying, ‘Be yourself.’ When you have the full support of your teammates and your coaches, it goes a long way. When a team trades for you, that means they see value in you and what you can possibly do. Just doing that on a nightly basis.”

The Cavs also embrace their “Let ’em Know” team motto and Junkyard Dog chain confidence, giving the three-time All-Star the chain after he dropped 43 points to help the Cavs beat the Lakers on Tuesday.

“It’s a guy that you can depend on in the thick of it, which isn’t always easy, and not everybody wants it, but he gives confidence to everybody on the floor because they believe in him, and they know that he’s capable of it, but he doesn’t do it in a way that takes away from other people,” Bickerstaff said, per The Athletic. “He empowers his teammates around him. He shares the ball. He’s not coming down just every possession and it’s just about him. He comes down, and the possession is about what’s the best shot available. If that’s a pass because they double-team him, he makes the pass; if it’s his shot, he takes his shot; if it’s attack and drop off to the big, he makes that play. To be honest with you, it’s unique in that, in his ability to take and make big shots, but to empower his teammates at the same time.”

pic.twitter.com/ENydzrIjnr

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 7, 2022

Mitchell is becoming an MVP candidate with the third-best record in the East while leading this young and fun Cleveland team to prominence. Spida seems to be enjoying the vibes his Cavs teammates have bought, and his resulting play is all the proof they need to know they’re doing something right.

It remains to be seen how far Mitchell can lead Cleveland after all, he’s only won a playoff series three times in his career, and he’s gone one-and-done in the playoffs just as many times. Not to mention that Mitchell is a proven playoff killer, averaging 28.3 points per game on 43.1 percent shooting during his postseason career.

The post ‘GO THE F HOME’: Donovan Mitchell’s Dominance Sends a Message to the Lakers (and the NBA) appeared first on SLAM.

A key piece for this Cavs team’s production, however, has come from second-year player Evan Mobley. The team wanted to get Mobley more involved this season, and the coaching staff has even said they see Hall-of-Fame potential within Mobley.

When Mobley was asked about his offensive growth per The Athletic, he said;

“You definitely want to get better every single time and get more uses for sure. So I was expecting that.”

So far this season, Mobley has a total of seven double-doubles and has taken his offensive game up a notch shooting a career-high 54.5 percent from the field. With each game, Mobley continues to improve from the previous one, and his teammates are all for it.

When asked about how it has been to play with Mobley, Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland stated;

“It’s crazy ’cause he’s 21 like he hasn’t really just got all his tools together. I mean, sometimes it still looks like he’s trying to get used to his seven-foot size out there. I mean, he’s really a unicorn, like there’s not a lot of people like him on this planet, and it’s cool to just have him as a teammate for sure.”

Mitchell also spoke on Mobley’s noticeable improvement this season, saying;

“I’ve never seen a young guy on a nightly basis, not knowing if it’s going to be offense or defense or show up on the stat sheet, but understanding it and not complain, that’s huge,” Mitchell continued, “that’s not typical for a second-year player who should have been the Rookie of the Year last year. Like, typically, you come into your second year expecting to be that guy, and he’s understanding that the role is going to change night to night — damn near triple-double with blocks some nights, holding down the defensive end when Jarrett Allen is out, when J.A. is in, being able to be there for us on the offensive end. I’ve never seen that out of a young guy. That’s a huge credit to him. And him as a person as well.”

Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff praised Mobley for stepping out on the court and focusing on the one thing that matters, winning instead of hunting for shots and being a player that “tried to get his stats as a rookie.”

Mobley is definitely a future star in this League, and it seems like he’s made a true home within the Cavaliers organization. SLAM can’t wait to see what the rest of this season has in store for Mobley and the resurged Cavs.

The post Evan Mobley’s Teammates Are Impressed With His Development in Year Two appeared first on SLAM.

Garland didn’tmissed a beat despite doing no live work since he suffered a laceration on the inside of his eyelid in Cleveland’s season opener against the Raptors. He stepped on the court ready to go and recorded the highest-scoring opening quarter of his career with 14 points on 3-3 shooting from three. 

Garland admitted he was “super scared,” per The Athletic when his injury first happened. 

“I rolled over; I felt blood coming out of my eye. So that’s when I got really nervous. And I was ready for surgery in Toronto. I was expecting that. I was expecting stitches and being out a couple of months. But by the grace of God, I’m here with two eyes now, and I’m back, and I’m healthy.”

The guard “tried to stay high” during his two weeks on the sideline, but he had his struggles.

“Just sitting over there and just have to wait and just seeing everybody get loose warming up and going through full practice and stuff, it was just kinda aggravating. I just tried to stay high. My teammates, they were winning. They was doing well, so I was happy about that. But I just wanted to be on the floor with them. I wanted to feel that energy. But I’m happy to be back now.”

Garland’s backcourt partner Donovan Mitchell doubled down on Garland’s excitement to be back.

He looked “like a little kid” during shootaround, Mitchell said.

“You could tell he was excited, just running around the gym, kinda just happy, a little bit of a different step to him. When you’re out for that long, and I’ve been there, it can kind of take a toll on you.”

Coach J.B Bickerstaff echoed Mitchell. “I mean, like you could feel it. [Garland] was excited this morning at shootaround. He was ready to contribute in a big way. And I mean, like, there was not any shyness to him. It was, I’m going out here, and I’m gonna assert myself on this game, and his teammates followed him.”

The Vanderbilt product led the Cavs to a 114-112 OT win against the Boston Celtics, finishing with 29 points, 12 assists, five rebounds, and three steals. And, of course, the Junkyard Dog Chain.

“Boy, did I,” Mitchell said about missing Garland. “He really set the tone tonight. I can’t speak for everybody else; I just didn’t know what his rhythm was going to be like after being out (two weeks). I think that’s the biggest thing. When you have your legs, when you have your energy, you’re excited, and he came out like he’s been playing with us down this whole stretch. He’s going to score the ball, and his passing, man, he’s creating, finding guys, making the game look easy, and really kind of sparked us, especially in that first half. Always under control. It’s great to have him out there.”

Now that the Cavs have Garland back, the Cleveland quartet of Mitchell, Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley can continue to build their chemistry and solidify their spot atop the Eastern Conference. The Cavs look to extend their record to 7-1 with a win against the Pistons tomorrow night.

The post Darius Garland ‘Happy as Hell’ To Rejoin Cavs After Eye Laceration appeared first on SLAM.

Through the first six games of the young season, Cleveland ranks first in three-point accuracy and fourth in made triples per game. Nearly 40 percent of Cleveland’s total points have come from beyond the arc, ranking them around other analytically driven teams like Boston, Utah, and Indiana. The Cavs are also the fifth-most accurate team from the corner and second-best at hitting threes from above-the-break

While Cleveland continues to thrive from beyond the arc, they’ve nearly erased mid-range jumpers from their shot profile. As of Tuesday, Cleveland is shooting mid-range shoots five percent of the time, tied for 25th in the NBA.

“It’s all about our spacing,” Dean Wade told cleveland.com. “Our spacing is unbelievable. There are so many open shots, and it’s obviously a lot easier to hit shots when you’re open. We just let the ballhandler make plays and find open windows. Our confidence is super high. Everyone put in a lot of work this summer. The coaches believe in us. That raises our confidence too.”

*sound on*

let’s go cavs pic.twitter.com/sWZTkhIqCK

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 31, 2022

The surge in three-point shooting came after the Cavs added the dynamic scoring Donovan Mitchell over the summer. The three-time All-Star has averaged 7.7 long-range attempts over his career. Last season, he shot a career-high 9.8 three-point shots (654) per game while making them (232) 35.5 percent of the time. Spida is shooting 9.2 threes per game this season on a career-best 45.5 percent clip.

Last season, Kevin Love led Cleveland in both categories, taking 477 and drilling 187.

Mitchell’s sharpshooting has unlocked another level that has transformed Cleveland’s offense into a dynamic, spaced-out, drive-and-kick-heavy offense.

“Watch the way the game is being played and how teams are defending and what you can do to attack it. If you’ve got the right people who can get in the paint, then you can find those shots,” Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I knew we’d be able to get open ones. Then it’s just a trust in the guys who have put in the time to make them. At the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to.”

Cleveland is thriving despite the absence of Darius Garland, who’s missed the last six games due to an eye injury. Because of Mitchell’s flamethrowing, Caris LeVert’s drive-and-kick game, and Garland’s shifty, probing dribble-drive attacks, multiple Cavs have had career-best starts to the season. Their backcourt has also created a lot of “wide-open” shots for Cleveland to cash in.

Dean Wade is shooting an insane 62.5 percent from beyond the arc, hitting 80 percent of the “wide-open” looks he gets. Love is lighting up the rim at a 47.2 percent rate from deep; he’s already got four games where he’s hit multiple triples in one night, including eight in Sunday’s win against New York. Out of the 36 threes Love has attempted, only four have come with a defender within four feet.

Cedi Osman is shooting 36.7 percent from deep, with 29 of his 30 being open or “wide-open,” and LeVert is hitting triples at 48.5 percent. He’s had just two of his 31 attempts get contested. Mitchell is Cleveland’s most heavily guarded shooter, but only 20 of his 55 attempts were contested.

“It’s just what the defense gives us and the type of 3s that we get,” Bickerstaff explained. “Can you create the open look and make the right pass? The way our guys have been shooting the 3, it’s hard to tell them not to take open shots, no matter the number of them.”

pic.twitter.com/Fa4snPIaJu

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 31, 2022

It doesn’t matter if the Cavs get harder closely from outside; they are knocking down 41 percent of their heavily contested three-pointers, the third-best in the NBA.

From the beginning of training camp until now, Cleveland has been confident they could be more than capable of adopting a new identity as a three-point shooting team. Evan Mobley said he “didn’t know how good it could have been.” Wade remembered how during Cleveland’s third practice, the Cavs “didn’t miss a shot in like four days.” He went on to remark that “the amount of shooters we have on this team is crazy. So many different teams.”

“We’re creating open shots, and we’ve got the right guys taking those shots,” Bickerstaff said. “I hope we took lessons from last year. You go back and look at the numbers; we created open shots at a high level. We didn’t make them.”

Cleveland will continue their long-distance revolution when they host Boston on Wednesday.

The post How Cleveland Transformed Into A Record-Setting Three-Point Shooting Team appeared first on SLAM.

The USC product suffered an ankle injury and was forced to sit out at the end of training camp and Cleveland’s first three preseason games. Because of that untimely injury, Mobley lost the valuable opportunity to play alongside the combination of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Caris LeVert.

Without sizable time to find a rhythm post-injury and to build chemistry with the Cavs’ new backcourt in Garland and Mitchell, Mobley feels like he has “gotten off to kind of a slow start,” per The Athletic. 

Following Sunday’s OT win against the Washington Wizards, the 21-year-old hadn’t taken double-digit shot attempts this season. On Sunday, Mobley shot 28.6 percent from the field and finished with two field goals. 

After Tuesday’s practice, Bickerstaff said, “we’ve gotta get him more involved.” 

“Again, it’s a mix of time together and where he was in the preseason and then him coming back and then Darius being gone. There are some things that we’re still working through. He’s so skilled and so talented, and we want him involved in our offense in a bunch of different ways.”

pic.twitter.com/9PmVr6NJaY

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 27, 2022

Bickerstaff likes the shots Mobley is taking but wants him to take more. The Cavs believe Mobley is “the guy who can help take [them] to the next level.” In his rookie season, the center averaged 15 points on 50.8 percent from the field, 25 percent from three, and 66.2 percent from the free-throw line. For Cleveland to rise to a championship-level team, they need Mobley to continue to improve his strength and consistency. 

“Evan’s basketball IQ is what we teach every single day,” Bickerstaff said during training camp. “We were talking about teaching guys how to play basketball; that’s what Evan excels at naturally. He just understands the game at a higher level than most second-year players do, and even as a rookie.”

Mobley is looking to play with more freedom and ease on offense, becoming a simultaneous creator and attacker. 

At Wednesday morning’s shootaround, he said he is “going to stay consistent with it.” 

“I know shots are going to start falling,” Mobley said “And I’m going to be in a better position to take those shots as well.”

On Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic, Mobley seemed to have regained some of his flow. The second-year center finished with 22 points on 9-15 shooting, including 17 points in the second half. 

“He was determined to help us win this game,” Bickerstaff said. “We know what he’s capable of. We believe in him a lot. And he was attack-minded, and he went out to prove a point. I think he did that.”

Step back 2⃣ #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/24Vi3YypFd

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 27, 2022

Teammate Dean Wade added: “every time he touched a ball, he’s looking to be aggressive. That’s always good to see, especially out of him. Sometimes he goes to make a play but doesn’t look to score, and I think tonight he was always looking to score, and that’s what we needed him to do. So wh n he plays like that, we’re a hard team to beat because he’s going to take at least two guys to stop him. And he’s obviously a great passer, so he can make those passes out. Tonight was exciting to see him just attack every time he touched it. It was fun.”

Mobley’s bounce-back game helped the Cavs seal a 103-92 win over the Magic and earned him the infamous Junkyard Dog Chain award for the night.

While he may have gotten off to a slower start to the season, Mobley looks to build on his 22-point performance against the Boston Celtics tomorrow night.

The post J.B. Bickerstaff On Getting Evan Mobley ‘More Involved’ Offensively appeared first on SLAM.

“It meant a lot,” Mitchell said. “The guys in the locker room, when I saw RoLo get it last time, I was like, ‘Oh, this is pretty dope.’ For me, just to feel a part of the group. They’ve accepted me since day one. Just to go out there and continuously just find my way, whether it’s offensively, defensively. Then to get this, it’s awesome.”

Even before Mitchell arrived in the Land, it was becoming clear that the team was truly starting to buy into the underdog-mentality. Darius Garland, who averaged a career-high 21.7 points last season, once described the team as a “pest” on the hardwood, and that’s become apparent not only in their on-court play and defensive dominance, but in their demeanor. Lamar Stevens was the one who started the barking last year, and since then, the whole team has caught on to it.

“Lamar [Stevens] started it, but I kinda adopted it,” Jarrett Allen told SLAM. “I think it’s perfect for what the team is trying to achieve…. We’re a young team, but we have the talent to back up the scrap.”

The Junkyard Dog Chain perfectly encapsulates all of the energy and excitement building around the Cavs’ young squad—designed by The Foundry at Jared, the hardware is made up of 14k Yellow Gold and features the 216 Cleveland area code, JYD [Junkyard Dog] acronym and Cavalier logos from throughout franchise history on the piece. Past recipients to rock the Junkyard Dog Chain, which is given to a player after every team win, includes Stevens, Garland, Kevin Love, Dylan Windler, Isaac Okoro and 2021-22 Rookie of the Year runner-up Evan Mobley.

Last Saturday, Robin Lopez became the first recipient of this season’s Junkyard Dog Chain after putting up 12 points in his Cavs debut.

As the latest Cavalier to win the award, Mitchell is continuing to impress and is setting franchise records, including being the first in Cavs’ history to put up back-to-back 30-plus point games to start the season. With a new superstar at the helm and a stacked roster of hungry talent, this is only the beginning of the team’s continued ascension.

But then again, Darius Garland did warn us back in February that the Cavaliers are ready to earn their respect.

“I think we’re starting to put the League on notice that we’re not just any slouch anymore. Like, you just can’t come into Cleveland and roll over us. I think we definitely deserve our respect.” 

Photos via Cleveland Cavaliers.

The post How the Cleveland Cavaliers Have Bought into the Underdog Mentality this Season with the Junkyard Dog Chain appeared first on SLAM.

The Heat seemed like the clear landing spot for Mitchell as NBA fans believed they had enough assets to send the Utah Jazz in exchange for the shooting guard. A deal like that would have pushed the Heat toward favorited championship odds, especially considering Mitchell and Adebayo’s chemistry at the Miami Pro League over the summer. Mitchell and Adebayo were also seen working out with one another throughout the offseason

“I said this to somebody, I was like, ‘Man, I’m working out with Bam [Adebayo] and others, and I’m thinking like, ‘This is just preparing. This is what it’s going to look like.'” Mitchell said on J.J Redick’s “Old Man and the Three Podcast.”

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Adebayo wasn’t the only player in the Heat roster that would spark rumors of Mitchell joining the Heat. Jimmy Butler had spent the second week of his off-season with Mitchell at a restaurant in Miami for basketball media influencer Chris Brickley’s birthday

In that same late June period, rival Kevin Durant had requested a trade from his team and the NBA world believed Heat President Pat Riley would pull the trigger for the future Hall of Famer.

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The Heat ended up standing pat during the off-season, but they extended Tyler Herro to a four-year deal worth $130 million. Though securing the young star bodes well for the Heat, the East has gotten much more competitive, especially with Mitchell making the Cavs a potential top-five seed in the conference.

Cleaveland’s future success rides on the play of Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley in order to consider the Cavs the winners of the trade. As for Miami, the team’s lack of trades and signings puts pressure on them to succeed at the same rate they did last season. If this season goes any worse, the question arises of why the Heat didn’t make the effort of making the Butler, Adebayo, and Mitchell big three.

The post Donovan Mitchell Touches On Working Out With Bam Adebayo Over the Summer appeared first on SLAM.

The rebuilding Jazz decided to move Mitchell to the Cavs over the summer, but it seems like Spida may have found an ideal fit in Cleveland. Mitchell has been labeled an All-Star piece that can help push Cleveland over the top as a playoff contender. The Lousiville product grew into that while in Utah; as a Cav, Mitchell has a better idea of how to mesh well with his new teammates and seems to be at ease.  

“He’s comfortable,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said per ESPN. “I think it’s that easy. This isn’t something he hasn’t done before. He’s carried teams on his back, so he understands the moment, and he’s capable of it. It’s not new, and it’s what we expected from him.”

Mitchell allowed the game to come to him on Wednesday, starting slowly with just four points in the first quarter. However, when his All-Star teammate Darius Garland exited the game with a left eye laceration, Mitchell ramped it up and carried a more significant offense load on his shoulders.

“That’s the big thing playing with a bunch of good guys, trying to find your spots, especially against a team like Toronto,” Mitchell said. “You don’t want to come in full bore; that’s how they want to turn you over. And then [Garland] goes down, so I’m on the ball more, directing traffic.”

“He’s an elite basketball player. There’s not many guys in this league that are better than Donovan or are capable of doing the things he can do. He puts so much pressure on the defense,” Coach Bickerstaff added. “He has the ability to make all the passes, so again that’s, he’s hard to deal with, but he makes defenses have to make tough decisions over and over again.”

Despite a few miscommunications with his new teammate and fellow All-Star Jarrett Allen, Spida had a strong debut. Natural growing pains will come with learning each other’s games, and the vibes remain positive after they opened the season with a 108-105 loss to the Raptors.

“It’s part of the game, part of the growing as teammates. It’s our first game playing together, our first official game playing together. We still have a lot of things to iron out, a lot of things to communicate about off the court after it happens,” said Jarrett Allen.

For the Cavs, Mitchell’s record night signals a high ceiling for the marriage between the All-Star and the rest of the team. As the guard put it, the Cavs “did a good job. But [they] can do an even better job.” Cleveland looks onwards and upwards as they seek to grab their first win of the season against the Chicago Bulls this Saturday.

The post ‘Comfortable’ Donovan Mitchell Drops 31 in His Cleveland Cavaliers Debut appeared first on SLAM.

The energy has truly shifted around the Association since the Golden State Warriors put the haters to sleep and won another NBA championship. This offseason, there was a sudden coaching change in Boston, a reported trade request in Brooklyn by Kevin Durant (that didn’t actually happen), and some major moves during free agency, from Donovan Mitchell teaming up with Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley on the Cavaliers to Jalen Brunson becoming a New York Knick. Then there’s the highly-anticipated return of Zion Williamson, Ben Simmons and SLAM 240 co-cover star Kawhi Leonard, who is sure to be a scary sight alongside Paul George now that they’re both healthy.

While we’ve dished out some bold takes in the past, this year’s preview might feature our boldest takes yet. Here’s the official 2022-23 SLAM Staff NBA Preview:

Anthony Holt, Slam Goods Apparel Designer

The Cavaliers will emerge as a top three seed in the East. 

With the blockbuster trade for Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers will claim the No. 3 seed. The championship experience of Kevin Love and Luke Walton will evolve Mitchell into the leader the franchise needs to make a playoff run. The Cavs will reach the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated by the Celtics, who will face the Bucks in the ECF.

NBA Finals Matchup: Bucks vs Grizzlies

Deyscha “Sway” Smith, Associate Editor

Ben Simmons will make a case for winning Most Improved Player of the Year.

Before any of you mention me on Twitter or pop off in the comment section, hear this one out. We all know what happened last year, and by no means is Ben Simmons, a three-time NBA All-Star, any sort of “up and coming player.” But if this preseason showed us anything, it’s that Ben is actually back and playing basketball again. After averaging 15.9 points per game during his time in Philly, if he brings that same energy and presence (both literally and in terms of his defensive game) to the Nets this year, by technicality, it’s really only up from here in terms of his overall improvement.

Will he win MIP? Unlikely, but then again, just imagine if he actually did put himself in the running for the award.

PS: When I predicted the Celtics would make the ECF in our season preview last year, y’all called me real bold for that take back then. If Ben gets active and starts playing at that All-Star level again, just make sure your apology is as loud as the disrespect has been.

ECF Matchup: Celtics vs Nets

Joshua Tapia, Editorial Intern

Damian Lillard takes the Portland Trailblazers to a top 5 seed in the West while securing his first MVP. 

Damian Lillard will finish the season above 32 points a night with eight assists. If he disciplines himself defensively, Dame could become a reliable defender against the League’s best scorers.

Here’s my playoff prediction: Lillard will lead the Blazers past the No. 4 seed Mavericks in the first round, the Warriors in round 2, but get defeated in Game 6 against the Clippers.  

Adam Figman, Chief Content Officer

The Sixers are winning the championship.

Everything is coming together at the perfect time in Philly: James Harden is healthy and more motivated than ever, Joel Embiid has a better understanding of how to treat his body to make it last a full season plus playoffs, Tobias Harris is the perfect starter to play next to two stars, Tyrese Maxey is making a leap, and Daryl Morey is going to be aggressive adding role players throughout the season to put around this group in order to ensure the team has everything it needs come postseason time. The 76ers: 2023 Champs. 

Michael Harris, Editorial Intern

The Lakers will make the Western Conference Finals.

The Los Angeles Lakers will figure it out this season. Russell Westbrook will embrace his role off the bench, Anthony Davis will be healthy and be a top three candidate for MVP, while Patrick Beverley will bring the defense at the guard spot necessary to help the Lakers lock down shooters. The Lakers will also finish as the top three seed in the West and make it all the way to the WCF to face the Grizzlies.

NBA Finals Matchup: Heat vs Lakers

Ajayi Browne, Editorial Intern

The Dallas Mavericks will win the NBA Finals.

The Dallas Mavericks will reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 and Luka Doncic will average career-highs across the board while having his most efficient season on his way to winning MVP. The team’s new additions, Christian Wood and Javale McGee, will give this team what they were missing last year, while Tim Hardaway Jr’s return will be vital, too.

Theus McBee, Co-Host of No Pump Fakes

Anthony Edwards will make his first All-Star Game and the Minnesota Timberwolves will make it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in nearly 20 years. 

The conversation of Ant Man “possibly” being a part of the top five under 25 group will come to an end and we will finally give him his rightful title of “Best Shooting Guard in the NBA.”

Check out the latest episode of No Pump Fakes below:

Najee AR Fareed, Editorial Intern 

Trae Young will make First Team All-NBA, lead the League in assists and take the Hawks all the way to winning a championship. 

The Hawks had a down year last season but their defense should be bolstered by a resurgent Clint Capela, Dejounte Murray’s arrival, and the rise of Onyeka Okongwu. The offense? Ice Trae might hold it down on the offensive end, but the Hawks have much more than just him. Deandre Hunter is taking big steps and John Collins’ lesser offensive load, with the addition of Murray, should free up his game for lobs and catch-and-shoot threes.

The Hawks will win one this season. For 3 Stacks and Lemon Pepper Wings and Zone 6 and Old Nat and everything else we love.

Colby Cusano, Brand Partnerships and Analytics Intern

Zion Williamson will bring the New Orleans Pelicans from an No. 8 seed to a No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and take home the Most Improved Player Award. 

After a decent season that saw them squeeze into the playoffs, the Pelicans are ready to make another run and with a healthy Zion Williamson. They now contain one of the most talented trios in the League.

NBA Finals Matchup: Mavs vs Celtics

Delon George, Marketing Manager SLAMgoods

The Brooklyn Nets will win the title.  

Though a lot of politics surround the Nets’ Big 3, I believe they have a lot to prove individually and together as a team this season. With Kyrie Irving will playing full-time from the start of the season and Kevin Durant avoiding injuries, the Nets are bound to have momentum this year. 

Brooke Brennan, WSLAM Intern

Lonzo Ball will return mid-season and take control of the Bulls’ offense, pushing them to be a top four seed team in the East.

While injury plagued his 2021-2022 season, Lonzo’s return mid-way through this year could give the Bulls the point guard anchor they need to take control on offense. After losing in the first round to the Bucks last year, the Bulls proved that they can be a playoff team, but have to make those adjustments. Returning key players, rising young talent, and added veteran depth will help to develop this team unit.

As for Zo, I project he’ll make an All-Star team in the near future. 

Andrew “Pitt” Pitagorsky, VP of Brand Partnerships

RJ Barrett will win Defensive Player of the Year. 

RJ Barrett will become an NBA All-Star and win Defensive Player of the Year. Going into Year 4 of his young career, RJ will take the next step in his growth and make the leap to the All-Star player we all know he could become. With the help of the coaching staff, and a pure point guard in the lineup, RJ can focus more on the defensive side of his game, and be an elite defender of the League.

Andres Puerta, Social Media SLAMFTW 

The Miami Heat will win the Eastern Conference Finals. 

The Miami Heat have a solid starting lineup. They are coming off a great season, with a solid performance in the playoffs from Jimmy Butler who showed what he can do in the playoffs. Tyler Herro showed out as the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. They have a competitive group of guys and it doesn’t matter who is on the court. With the Heat being one of the top teams in the East last year, this will be the year they win the Eastern Conference Finals.

Arvind Pitchai, VP of Social Media

Luka Doncic will average a triple double and win MVP. 

Here’s another Luka Doncic prediction: when he averages a triple-double this season, he’ll definitely win MVP. We all know about Luka’s scoring prowess and ability to see the floor, but he also can clean the glass at a high clip. Will this lead the Mavs to the Finals? Who knows but it’s going to be a fun season watching Luka regardless.

Marcus Allen, Social Graphic Designer

The Knicks will make the Eastern Conference Finals.

A big season from the New York Knicks is upon us as they will make the ECF in 2023. Future star, RJ Barrett will have the best season of his career with his new backcourt partner Jalen Brunson and ultimately earn Most Improved Player and or Defensive Player of the Year. Let’s get it.

Dave Schnur, President

The T-Wolves and the Cavs will go on a playoff run and make the Conference Finals.

Karl-Anthony Towns moving to the 4 full time will be a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. He’ll hit a career high number of threes this season, Ant Edwards will make his first All-Star Team, Rudy Gobert is gonna Gobert and D-Lo will get his, too. The Cavs already have a great young core with Garland, Mobley and Allen. Adding a perennial All-Star SG like Spida that can stretch the floor and facilitate will bolster an already potent offense. Garland and Donovan may be the best backcourt in the East. 

Max Resetar, Editor 

Stephen Curry will break his own record of 402 threes in a season. 

The Dubs finally have everyone healthy. Every player on the roster has a clearly defined role and they each understand that their number one target on offense is No. 30, whether that means passing to him, screening for him, or getting the f— outta his way when the reign starts to rain. With a complete season of all the major hitters, their offense is gonna hum all the way to an easy 450 threes for the most recent Finals MVP. 

Celebrate the return of the NBA season, the 2022 WNBA champs and the future of the game with SLAM 240.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post SLAM’s 2022-23 NBA Preview: Crazy Bold Takes for this Season appeared first on SLAM.

Preparation Award: LeBron James 

LeBron is LeBron because of his insane work ethic. This summer, if a workout was scheduled for 10 AM, LBJ would walk in early at 9:15 AM. He’d then do a workout routine that included stretching, balance, and core for about 40 minutes. Once he was done with that, he’d go back to his post workout routine—stretching, some cool down and then balance exercises. For a player going into his 20th season, his body sure doesn’t look like it but he moves on the court like he’s 31, not 37.

Early Bird Award: Jimmy Butler 

Jimmy and I travelled the world this summer. From time zone to time zone, we worked out in New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Miami, the Hamptons, Switzerland, Paris…the list goes on. No matter where we were, we would always start our workouts at 6 AM—I’m not going to lie, but sometimes, depending on the time, I would be super tired when my alarm rang at 5 in the morning. But it was always a great feeling to be done with his first workout by 7:30 AM. In Europe, we even did double sessions. Jimmy had a great summer and I’m excited for him to show off his work this season. 

Biggest Black Ops Surprise (Non-NBA Player): Ian Jackson 

Over the years, I’ve had many elite high school players play in the summer Black Ops Runs: Donovan Mitchell, Obi Toppin, Cole Anthony, Adrian Griffin to name a few. But no high school player had a summer like Cardinal Hayes’ Ian Jackson. His first Black Ops Run was a learning lesson—the pace of the game was very fast for him and he struggled. However, he did come back the next day and played great and had eight threes and a series of nice dunks and passes. After that day, he was comfortable and he surprised NBA players all summer.

The Record Holder: CJ McCollum

There are a few drills each summer that I keep track of, specifically the player shooting 50 threes off the dribble or 100 threes off of the move. Well, CJ McCollum holds the record in almost all of them. He has an incredible work ethic and a very consistent jump shot. He made 92 out of 100 threes in one of the drills and also broke a few other records. 

Viral Sneaker Moment: LeBron James 

LeBron came to a workout one time with a light brown box in his hand. But there was no writing on the box. It wasn’t until after he did his pre-workout stretching routine that he laced up his sneakers and revealed that they were the LeBron 20s. It was the first time anyone had seen them. Within minutes of me posting a picture of them, the photo was everywhere and the top story on every sneaker blog across the world. Definitely a special moment. 

Breakout Season: Dre Hunter 

Dre Hunter worked out with me for the first time this summer and he was hungry! He learned very quickly and always pushed himself. I was very impressed with his professionalism and his skill level, too, and I think this year will be a huge year for Dre. 

Best 1 Day Performance in a Black Ops Run: Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown came to NYC during Fashion Week and pulled up to a Black Ops run. He dominated the run offensively and defensively, even hitting a series of game winners. He couldn’t be stopped and the entire gym saw how talented he was that day. On top of dominating the game, he had asked me to put Ian Jackson on his team so he could mentor him. He’s truly a great leader. 

What People Don’t Know: Drake’s Jumpshot

Everyone knows about Drake’s new gym at his house in Toronto but not everyone knows about how he’s improved his jumpshot. His form looked completely different from when I saw him last—he even played in a run at the Summit and hit 13 threes. The video went viral. 

Most Focused: Ty Jerome 

Ty Jerome’s work ethic this summer was on 1,000. He came to the gym all summer long to workout; he would jump into others players workouts to learn and he really improved. Every player that came to the gym consistently improved their games but Ty improved the most. I’m excited that he has landed on the Warriors. I think that’s a great fit for him. 

Efficiency Award: Kevin Love 

Kevin Love had a very productive offseason. Coming off of getting runner up for Sixth Man of the Year, he had an extra pep in his step this summer. We would shoot 100 threes after each workout and Kev would never get below 75; he’d average between 80 and 85. That is what I call efficient shooting. 

Best Conditioned: Julius Randle 

By the end of the offseason, Julius would come to the gym and workout for 90 minutes straight with no water break and free throws. He would ask me to push him as much as possible and most of the drills would be full court, too. He has to be one of the best conditioned athletes in all of the NBA. 

Biggest Surprise in a Black Ops Run: Paolo Banchero

Paolo came to a run after he was drafted No. 1 and people didn’t know what to expect at first. Well, when they left that day, they knew that Paolo was going to be a very special player. He scored in a number of ways: slashing to the hoop, mid post, offensive rebounds and threes. Funny part about his performance was that after the first game, I went up to him and said, “Can you please be aggressive!” He definitely listened and after a slow start, he stringed off about eight great games. 

Viral Moment: Donovan Mitchell’s Dunk

The angle of the video did not do the dunk justice, but when Donovan blew by his opponent and raised up for a two-hand dunk, he dunked it so hard that the entire backboard shifted. We had to stop the game and shift it back into center. The video went viral and the funny part was that one of the players had yelled out to Paolo Banchero, “Welcome to the NBA.” Unfortunately, Paolo was the one Donovan had blown by.

King of the Hill Award: Kevin Porter Jr.

During the course of the summer, one of my favorite things to do is have the players play 1-on-1. Kevin Porter Jr. was unstoppable in that setting and it didn’t matter if there was a three dribble limit or a single dribble limit. Kevin won every 1-on-1 matchup that summer.

Point God Award: Darius Garland and Cole Anthony

We’ve had some incredible performances by point guards this summer, but both Darius Garland and Cole Anthony played tremendously. The game looked so easy for them: not only do they make their teammates better, but they can get to anywhere they want on the court and make tough shots. Both of those guys have bright futures in the NBA.

Watch Out For: Kiyan Anthony 

Kiyan Anthony, who will be a sophomore at Christ the King, had one of those summers where you say, Man he got so much better! Not only did he grow about four inches this summer, but his game has really developed. He already has a handful of Division I offers and he’s nationally ranked.

The post The 2022 Black Ops Basketball Summer Recap and Awards appeared first on SLAM.

Heading into training camp, Mitchell has challenged himself to be a leader defensively, acknowledging that his biggest weakness has been on the less glamorous side of the court, and the only way this team reaches its destiny is with him committing to be an elite two-way backcourt.

“I can play defense. I know that for a fact,” Mitchell said confidently, per Cavaliers Nation. “I haven’t shown that, and that is what I’m looking forward to doing here.”

The three-time All-Star will be holding down the backcourt with rising young talent, Darius Garland. His play last year with the Cavs earned him his first All-Star selection, and it came by way of his elite playmaking and scoring and his swiper instincts defensively, averaging 1.3 steals a game during the regular season. Though the Cavs didn’t make the playoffs, this upcoming season’s hopes are much higher than simply making the playoffs.

Mitchell may have averaged 1.5 steals a game in his final season with the Utah Jazz, but it didn’t mitigate any narrative that Mitchell will commit to playing defense.

If the Louisville product does decide to play hard on the defensive side, it could elevate him into the top 10 player conversation around the League. Defense wins championships, and the Cavaliers roster knows that Evan Mobley can defend well in the paint; it’s just up to Mitchell to provide that spark against an East packed with dangerous guards.

He’ll start with the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 19 in Scotiabank Arena.

The post Donovan Mitchell Knows ‘for A Fact’ He Can ‘Play Defense’ appeared first on SLAM.

To achieve their vision – the Larry O’Brien trophy in Salt Lake – a rebuild was necessary. After moving Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers, veterans Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, and Jordan Clarkson remain on Utah’s roster.

According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the Jazz and Lakers are currently in ongoing trade talks for the sharp-shooting Bogdanovic.

“Those conversations continue to evolve, we’ve continued to be in touch with them directly and their representation,” Zanik said, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “Obviously, there’s been a lot of change this summer, so it’s natural for us to have those conversations.”

The 6’7″ forward averaged 18.1 points, 4.3 assists, 1.7 rebounds, and shot 38.7 percent from beyond the arc. In addition to the Lakers, the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and New York Knicks have expressed interest in Bogdanovic. If Bogdanovic is moved to the Lakers, it will be the second trade of the season between LA and Salt Lake. Earlier this summer, Utah gave up Patrick Beverley for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson. 

As the Jazz continue to prioritize and acquire young talent, it is no surprise that they have made Bogdanovic and their remaining vets available.

“We wanted to give the organization every opportunity to build the greatest base of flexibility, young players, and assets going forward to make really good decisions so that we could reach the ceiling that we want to get to,” Zanik said.

The new-look Jazz begins their 2022-23 season on Oct. 19 against the Denver Nuggets.

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Mitchell says in his introductory to the Cavs that his deal to the New York Knicks looked done, and maybe, it should have, considering the team’s packages. One of New York’s best offers at Utah’s CEO Danny Ainge was a deal centered around Mitchell for RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson, and three unprotected first-round picks, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

At the start of trade talks in July, New York offered Utah a Donovan Mitchell package including RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson and three unprotected first-round picks, sources tell ESPN. Jazz turned down that offer and Robinson signed a $60M extension to stay w/ NY. https://t.co/3eDg2Mf7f1

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 2, 2022

The NBA world was shocked to see the Knicks add RJ Barrett to the deal, considering he’s one of their bright young talents, by giving them a 20-piece a night at 22-years-old. The talent Mitchell can be at his peak is off the charts, and the homecoming would’ve seemed fitting to embark on that journey.

“I thought for sure I was going back home; I’m not gonna lie about that,” Mitchell told reporters on Wednesday in his introductory Cavs press conference, per the New York Post. “Who doesn’t want to be home next to their mom?” 

The all-star guard is from Elmsford, NY, a town located in Westchester County. He lived there until his high school days, when he would end up in Canterbury School in Connecticut and Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. He left his mark at Louisville, where his play earned him the 13th selection in the 2017 NBA draft.

Mitchell did all he could in Utah, but the pieces to a title just seemed like lost hope. Though he never spoke about where he wanted to play next, it did seem like the Mecca was one of his more intriguing options. Ultimately, Mitchell ends up in Cleveland and will look to team-up with All-Star Darius Garland and promising center Evan Mobley. The three look to form a dangerous Big 3 in the East.

While the homecoming party in New York will have to wait, fans can get a proper show with Mitchell in the Land before he hits free agency in 2025.

The post Donovan Mitchell ‘Thought for Sure’ Jazz Would Trade Him to Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

While the team was 19-7 when Danny Ainge took over, the Jazz had only won season playoff series over the past five seasons despite occasional regular season dominance. As the season progressed, Ainge realized that the Jazz “didn’t really believe in each other.”

The personal revelation led Ainge to ship off Gobert to Minnesota, Mitchell to Cleveland, O’Neale to Brooklyn, and Ingles to Portland; however, he never played for the Blazers due to a torn ACL.   

“What I saw during the season was a group of players that didn’t really believe in each other. Like the whole group,” Ainge said, per ESPN. “I think they liked each other even more than what was reported, but I’m not sure there was belief.”

Ainge was hoping the team would remedy their issues by the beginning of the postseason, but after a disappointing end to their season at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, despite Luka Doncic missing multiple games, Ainge knew it was time to begin their rebuild. 

“When we got to the playoffs, I thought, well, this team that has had some disappointing playoffs, so I thought maybe they’re just waiting for the playoffs. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but it was clear the team didn’t perform well in the playoffs again.”  

“Like I believe every one of these guys went into every game believing they were going to win, don’t get me wrong on that. I’m just saying when adversity hit, the resolve you could see in a team that has a true belief in having each other’s back or one another.”

Utah’s shift to a rebuild was expected after the Jazz dropped another first-round series. Ainge’s ambitious moves to trade Gobert and Mitchell results in Utah receiving a pevy of picks and young players. Utah begins its most challenging season yet against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 19.

The post Danny Ainge: Utah Jazz ‘Didn’t Really Believe in Each Other’ appeared first on SLAM.

Utah required the three players after trading Mitchell to Cleveland for restricted free agent Sexton, Markkanen, and Agbaji eight days ago. Sexton reportedly agreed to a sign-and-trade deal to help the Cavs finish the trade negotiations; Sexton is locked in with Utah on a four-year deal worth $72 million.

“It was clear that in order to optimize our opportunity to create a team that could truly contend and establish sustained success, we needed to transition our roster,” Jazz CEO Danny Ainge said in a statement. “In trading Rudy (Gobert) and now Donovan, it was a rare opportunity to maximize our ability to get quality talent and picks to best position us moving forward. We have a plan in place to help us assemble the championship team our fans deserve. It will take time to craft our roster. We all understand the work ahead and are committed to our vision.”

GM Justin Zanik believes Sexton, Markkanen, and Agbaji are three “exciting young players.” The endorsement from Zanik could be a sign of good fortune for the three young stars that’ll play a pivotal role in Utah’s rebuilding effort.

Sexton averaged 16.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on 45.0 percent shooting from the field in the 11 games he played last season before undergoing season-ending surgery to repair the torn meniscus he suffered in November. Markkanen averaged 14.8 points. 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 44.5 percent from the field goal.

“We believe that they fit the Jazz culture and hard-nosed, competitive brand of basketball we’ve built here in Utah,” Zanik said. “They give us versatility and athleticism on both ends of the floor as we grow toward the future. We look forward to our fans getting to know them.”

The Utah Jazz opens the 2022-23 season against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 19.

The post Jazz CEO Danny Ainge on Offseason Moves: ‘We Needed to Transition Our Roster’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired Donovan Mitchell in a trade, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 1, 2022

Utah received Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks, and two picks, according to Woj. Restricted free agent Sexton reportedly agreed to a sign-and-trade deal so the Cavs could move him to Utah.

Sexton has agreed to a sign-and-trade deal to join Utah, sources said.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 1, 2022

According to Woj, Cavs GM Koby Altman “circled back” with Utah GM Justin Zanik on Tuesday. The two teams negotiated a deal they had discussed previously. The Knicks declined to do a trade deal on Monday night after re-signing RJ Barrett, opening the door for Cleveland to secure a deal.

https://t.co/5lqkyvBvSP

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) September 1, 2022

The epic trade makes Cleveland a more significant threat in the East as they form a Big 3 around Mitchell, their All-Star duo of Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and their future All-Star building block in Evan Mobley.

The post REPORT: Cavaliers Acquire Donovan Mitchell in a Blockbuster Trade appeared first on SLAM.

Many hurdles remain, but talks resurfaced with training camp about six weeks away. The teams tried to get a deal done during July but no dice from either side.

The Knicks will have to send at least $24.2 million in salary to make the trade go through, according to Ian Begley of SNY, on top of the high asking price that Utah wants for Mitchell.

The Jazz has also clarified that they will be content with holding onto Mitchell if no deal is reached.

If they land Mitchell, the Knicks could have a potential starting lineup of Jalen Brunson, who they signed during free agency, Mitchell, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson for the upcoming season.

The blockbuster trade could help the Knicks could turn around their disappointing 2021-2022 season into one where they find themselves back in the NBA playoffs.

The post REPORT: Donovan Mitchell Trade Talks Re-engaged Between the Jazz and Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

The Lakers’ side of things is where they would be willing to take on Randle if they cannot move Westbrook for Kyrie Irving. Randle would be a player the Lakers would value as a complementary piece next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Randle’s salary for 2022-23 is set to be $23.76 million, $23.3 million less than what Westbrook will make this upcoming year.

Randle is two years removed from his lone year as an All-Star, All-NBA Second Team selection, and a Most Improved Player of the Year award.

The Lakers have been linked to Irving in recent weeks and may need the help of other teams to move Westbrook to take on Irving. Irving has also been involved in trade rumors following Kevin Durant’s trade request away from the Brooklyn Nets.

This hinders the development of the Knicks and Jazz’s talks to scoop Mitchell. The Lakers have also been searching for a third team if they were to deal away Westbrook. San Antonio was rumored to be the third team at one point, and now the Knicks have been identified as the other potential third suitor.

The post REPORT: Knicks to Explore Trading Julius Randle if They Land Donovan Mitchell appeared first on SLAM.

The Jazz and Knicks have started talks in a deal that would bring Donovan Mitchell to New York, League Sources tell myself and @ShamsCharania – https://t.co/pT8m93pR5F

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) July 14, 2022

Although numerous teams are in conversation with the Jazz to trade for Mitchell, the Knicks have emerged as the favorite and focused destination since multiple reports were made saying Utah began exploring the possibility of moving Mitchell. The framework for the trade has been discussed within the last 24 hours.

The Knicks are the popular route due to the draft capital they own — eight future first-round picks — they could use in a blockbuster trade. New York could also attach young talent like Quentin Grimes, who the Jazz are reportedly keen on adding to their roster. Utah is reportedly focused on getting draft picks and cheap young players still on rookie deals.

Utah has already traded Rudy Gobert to Minnesota and Royce O’Neale to Brooklyn this summer and is reportedly making all of their vets available in trade talks.

The post REPORT: New York Emerges as Favorite to Acquire Donovan Mitchell appeared first on SLAM.

Jazz general manager Justin Zanik told reporters in a recent interview, “Change is inevitable in the NBA…Things evolve in the NBA, so I couldn’t sit here and say anybody is [untouchable]…There’s no intent there [to trade Mitchell] at all.”

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 12, 2022

The trade development isn’t surprising in the aftermath of Rudy Gobert and Royce O’Neale being traded to the Timberwolves and Nets, respectively. After Quin Snyder abruptly resigned as head coach of the Jazz, the writing seemed to be on the wall that Utah would be going through an overhaul of the team. Through eight seasons under Snyder, the Jazz could never advance past the conference semifinals, and change was needed.

The first moves came with Gobert getting traded for four first-round picks, Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverly, Walker Kessler, and Jarred Vanderbilt. O’Neale was flipped for a 2023 draft pick around the same time. There was smoke but no fire about him being traded when it came to Mitchell.

That changed after Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reported that teams around the League asked about Mitchell’s availability. Utah reportedly declined to entertain any inquiries because they thought Utah thought franchises were trying to “pounce on a perceived opportunity” to acquire Mitchell.

The asking price appears to be steep, but in the wake of Utah’s recent Rudy Gobert blockbuster deal to Minnesota, the Jazz are no longer simply dismissing calls on Mitchell, sources said.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 12, 2022

The trade market for Mitchell could be hefty for any team looking to acquire Mitchell. The Knicks have reportedly emerged as a prime target to trade for Spida. The Knicks already signed Jalen Brunson to a near-max deal; making a move to get Mitchell on the roster could be a coup for the Knicks and give them one of the best backcourt combinations in the NBA.

According to insider Marc Stein, the Knicks could make a trade centered around RJ Barrett. Playing for the Knicks is attractive for the Knicks as a hometown guy and his former coach, Johnnie Bryant, joined the Knicks coaching staff ahead of the 202-21 season.

It remains to be seen how quickly a trade can be made for Mitchell. The Knicks will likely receive some competition for Mitchell, so the speed of the transaction may happen as soon as it did for Gobert.

The post REPORT: Trading Price For Donovan Mitchell ‘Appears to Be Steep’ appeared first on SLAM.

The dispatch of Rudy Gobert to Minnesota has led to speculation around the future of All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, according to Tim Daniels of Bleacher Report.

However, Utah has come out expressing its unwillingness to trade Mitchell following the Gobert deal. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has also confirmed that Mitchell will not force anything.

“On Mitchell’s side, he’s going to stand pat,” Windhorst said. “He’s not going to force any action right now.”

Since 2016-17, the Utah Jazz has not been able to progress in the playoffs past the second round. They have already hired a new coach in Will Hardy and sent Gobert away in a pivotal deal bringing back four first-rounders (three that have no protections at all) and four new players.

The team wants to hold onto Mitchell and retool around the multi-time All-Star.

The post REPORT: Utah’s Donovan Mitchell to ‘Stand Pat’ Despite Trade Rumors appeared first on SLAM.

The list of assistants includes current Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant, Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Celtics assistants Will Hardy & Joe Mazzulla, and in-house candidates Alex Jensen & Lamar Skeeter, who were assistants under Snyder.

Former Portland coach Terry Stotts is expected to be in the mix. Stotts spent time with the Jazz later in the year as a personal guest of Snyder’s, according to ESPN. Stotts spent nine seasons in Portland, where he won 402 games and coached players such as Damien Lillard, CJ McCollum, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Wesley Matthews. He took the Trailblazers to the 2019 Western Conference Finals and made the playoffs in eight of his nine seasons.

Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel is also expected to be in the mix; he spent the last three seasons in Los Angeles and managed a 127-98 overall record with an NBA championship in 2020.

Bryant spent the past two years as an assistant under Tom Thibodeau’s staff with the Knicks and was a six-year assistant with Snyder in Utah before departing for the Knicks. Bryant also has a very close relationship with Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell.

In a press conference this past Monday, Jazz owner Ryan Smith had said that the list of candidates could expand during their coaching search. CEO of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge echoed this message while also saying there is no urgency to hire a new coach before the draft.

“We’ve got to get this choice right,” said Ainge. “We’ve got big shoes to fill.”

The post REPORT: Utah Jazz Begin Search to Replace Quin Snyder appeared first on SLAM.

Full quote from Quin Snyder: pic.twitter.com/si5W6HY0wg

— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) June 5, 2022

Team CEO Danny Ainge says the Jazz wanted Snyder to return but ultimately trusted the 55-year-old to make the best decision for “him and his family.”

“We have spent the last few weeks talking, Quin and I, a lot about a lot of different things,” Ainge said during a press conference on Monday. “And I think it’s pretty clear; we desperately wanted him to stay. And at the same time, I’ve walked away from coaching, and I walked away from being a general manager after 18 years in Boston, and so I trust that Quin knows more what’s best for him and his family, much more than we do.”

After eight seasons as coach, Snyder simply decided that it's time to step away. Conversations had been amicable with team, relationships still strong, but Snyder has decided to leave after building the Jazz into a perennial playoff contender. https://t.co/1NCpfsgKku

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 5, 2022

Snyder’s 372 wins are the second-most in Jazz history, only behind Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan’s 1,127 victories. Utah never reached the Western Conference Finals during Snyder’s tenure despite reaching the playoffs in all of his last six seasons.

Ainge says he is confident that Snyder is “going to be coaching somewhere else in the near future, next year probably.” When asked about his future, Snyder declined to comment.

“That hasn’t been on my mind at all,” Snyder said during the press conference. “Just been focused on this. I don’t know what I’m going to do next year as far as coaching next year or anything along those lines.”

In the wake of Snyder’s resignation, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Jazz star Donovan Mitchell was left “unsettled, unnerved, and wondering what it means for the franchise’s future.” Wojnarowski also reported that Mitchell considered Snyder a “significant part” in his decision to sign a five-year extension with Utah in 2020.

After hiring Doc Rivers and Brad Stevens during his 18-year run in the Celtics’ front office, Ainge will now lead the third head coaching search of his career.

The post Danny Ainge Says Jazz ‘Desperately’ Wanted Quin Snyder to Stay in Utah appeared first on SLAM.

After eight seasons as coach, Snyder simply decided that it's time to step away. Conversations had been amicable with team, relationships still strong, but Snyder has decided to leave after building the Jazz into a perennial playoff contender. https://t.co/1NCpfsgKku

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 5, 2022

Synder’s decision comes just days after it was reported he was mulling his future as the head coach of the Jazz. In his eight-year tenure, Snyder had a 62.3 percent winning percentage over the past six seasons, third-best in the League according to ESPN Stats and Info. He was 372-264 overall in his eight seasons. Snyder leaves as the second-winningest coach in Utah history behind the legendary Jerry Sloan.

The Jazz could not reach the Western Conference Finals despite reaching the semifinals twice in the past five postseasons. They were also eliminated in the first round in the last two seasons.

Snyder stepping down has also reportedly left franchise cornerstone Donovan Mitchell “unsettled, unnerved, and wondering what it means for the franchise’s future,” according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Wojnarowski further reported that Snyder played a significant part in Mitchell’s decision to sign his five-year extension in 2020. Suffice it to say Mitchell was “surprised and disappointed” that the only NBA head coach he’s had decided to leave so abruptly.

Per Woj, the three-time All-Star has accepted Snyder’s resignation but will be taking time to process what Snyder’s loss means in the bigger scheme of things for Utah and himself. Meanwhile, Utah is expected to start its coaching search expeditiously.

Mitchell has four years left on his contract, including a player option on the final season of his deal.

The post REPORT: Jazz Coach Quin Snyder Resigns After Eight Seasons appeared first on SLAM.

I know I am not usually @utahjazz breaking news guy, but a source close to situation has informed me that Rudy Gobert is at "him or me" point with Donovan Mitchell and will demand that one of them be traded in next few days. Doesn't feel they will win championship together.

— Sean O'Connell (@realOCsports) May 2, 2022

The reported rift between the two franchise cornerstones has been much maligned since Gobert and Mitchell became the NBA’s Patient Zero for COVID-19, causing the League to shut down for several months before the Orlando Bubble took place. Since then, the pair of All-Stars have publicly made sure to downplay any issues they may have had.

“My understanding is that conversation has yet to happen,” O’Connell said per KSL Podcast. “Maybe he and his agent are formulating a better strategy than a simple ultimatum, and that’s why we haven’t had anything. This is from a very trusted, hashtag, source for me, and it could be less than 100 percent complete information from what Rudy and his camp are actually planning on doing. Obviously, I’ll fully allow for that.”

Although the experimental 1-2 punch hasn’t yielded the result the Jazz want, Gobert seemingly isn’t ready to quit on the Jazz or continue to play with Mitchell, letting NBA Twitter know that the rumors were false.

Everyday has it’s own new “rumor”

— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) May 2, 2022

Gobert averaged 15.6 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game during the regular season. His playstyle has come under fire for being unable to guard forwards and centers who can stretch the floor. He was endlessly teased for being the main defender being cooked when Terance Mann scored 39 points to eliminate the Jazz in Game 6 in the Clippers’ run to the conference finals last year.

Meanwhile, Mitchell finished the 2021-22 season, averaging 25.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game on 44.8 percent shooting from the field and 35.5 percent from beyond the arc. As a volume scorer, Mitchell has tended to settle more for jumpers instead of exploding to the rim like he’s done in the past.

The post Rudy Gobert Denies Rumor That He’s Giving Utah ‘Him or Me’ Ultimatum appeared first on SLAM.

During the 2021-22 regular season, Mitchell finished top 10 in scoring with 25.9 points per game. He shot 35.5 percent from deep in 9.8 attempts per contest. With 20.5 field goal attempts per game, he shot 44.8 percent from the floor overall. 

In the playoffs, he’s been an even more elite scorer. Mitchell has the third-most total points of any player in the playoffs—he’s produced 121 points through four games, good for 30.3 per game. 

Interestingly, he’s only shooting 39.6 percent from the floor and 23.5 percent from distance, meaning there’s still room for improvement. He’s been great in this opening series against the Dallas Mavericks, and while he’s ultimately scored 30 or more points in three out of four games thus far, it’s taken him a bit to get going. Mitchell has gotten off to a slow start in most of the matchups in this opening series, and he’s averaging 11.0 points in the first half (21st in NBA) and 19.3 points in the second half (first in NBA).

With that in mind, he’s been outstanding coming out of the half, averaging 10.8 points in the third quarter, which is tied for the second-most in the League this postseason. If Mitchell can start producing in both halves, he’ll be on a whole new level. 

After the Game 3 win, Mitchell spoke about how he can be better and the support and trust he has from everyone around him. 

“My teammates and my coaches trust me. The ball’s going to be in my hands, and I’ve got to make the right play.”

Putting up points in the playoffs isn’t new for Mitchell. He always hits a new level when the postseason comes around. Over the past three seasons, he’s been one of the League’s most prolific scorers in the postseason. 

• 2020: 36.3 PPG
• 2021: 32.3 PPG
• 2022: 30.3 PPG

The series is tied at 2-2, but one team will take the lead on Monday night. In December, the SLAM 235 cover star spoke about the Jazz’s playoff pursuits and how they need to “perform” when it counts.

“We’re a pretty good team, [but] we’ve got to perform when it’s time,” Mitchell told SLAM. “That’s no secret; that’s the biggest thing. We’re a good regular season team, and we’ve had success in the playoffs, but we haven’t had the ultimate success.”

Game 5 is set to take place in Dallas and will be just the second game of the series in which Luka Doncic suits up. At the rate Mitchell is going, the battle between him and Doncic will be spectacular the rest of the way. 

The post Built For The Postseason: Donovan Mitchell Continues Elevate in the Postseason appeared first on SLAM.

The Mavs pulled out to an early lead, but the Jazz chipped away in the third quarter. However, the Dallas defense showed out in the fourth quarter to secure the 126-118 victory. 

“We made timely shots and we made timely stops,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd following the win.

In the absence of Doncic, Jalen Brunson continued to play like a star. After his 31-point performance in Game 3, he’s now averaging 32.0 points per contest in the series. 

Utah is in a tough situation after losing its first matchup of the series at home. Even without Doncic taking the floor yet again, the Mavericks have taken control of the series with a 2-1 lead. 

The Mavs were once again on fire from beyond the arc on Thursday night, converting on 18 of their 42 triples as a team. This was again sparked by forward Maxi Kleber, who is now 12-16 through his past two games. 

“When you’re a hot player, you’re a hot player,” said Kleber following Game 3. 

For the Jazz, the offense still hasn’t clicked in this series. The slump towards the end of the regular season has continued into the postseason to this point. While they scored 118 points tonight, it wasn’t enough as the scoring was stagnant in the first and fourth quarter. 

Overall, Utah looked solid offensively shooting 56.5% from the floor. It just wasn’t consistent enough to get the job done. 

After scoring zero points in Game 3, Mike Conley produced 21 points on 14 shots Thursday night. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 24 points while Donovan Mitchell produced 32 of his own. 

With that in mind, Mitchell still believes everything starts with defense for this Jazz team. 

“It starts defensively, and everything else falls into place,” he said postgame. 

For the first time this series, the rebounding battle was balanced. Both teams pulled down 32 boards on the night.  

This series is far from over, even if Doncic does return at some point. The Jazz have the talent to make things interesting down the stretch, and the Mavericks know that. 

“I’m proud of this team,” Brunson said postgame. “I’m proud of the fight that we have. They’re a team that’s not going to quit. They’re a good team.”

Game 4 will take place on Saturday in Utah. 

The post Mavericks Continue To Roll, Sealing Game 3 Road Victory Against Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

The differentiator in Game 2 was on the perimeter. Dallas was hot from beyond the arc all night, finishing 22-of-47 (46.8%) from that distance. Those 22 made 3-pointers set a new franchise-best for the postseason.

This was fueled by Maxi Kleber, who knocked down eight of his 11 attempts from deep. This was one make away from tying Jason Terry for the all-time postseason record for triples made in a game. 

Dallas made 17 uncontested 3-pointers in this contest, which is the most by any team in last ten postseasons. However, that’s not something the Mavericks are going to depend upon moving forward in this series. 

“It’s not live or die by the three. We’re not Golden State,” Spencer Dinwiddie said postgame. 

Furthermore, Jalen Brunson continued to shine in the absence of Doncic, finishing the night with a career-high 41 points. He also posted eight rebounds and five assists. From the moment the game tipped off, Brunson was in control of the offense. He became became the fifth member in the history of the Mavericks to score at least 40 points in a playoff game.

“He’s gonna make a lot of money,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd of Brunson who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. “I don’t know if he needs an agent. It’s not just what he did tonight. He’s shown he deserves to be paid.”

What was perhaps most impressive about Brunson’s night was that he kept the offense in rhythm, which helped Dallas take care of the ball. Brunson became the first player in Mavericks history with 40 points and zero turnovers in a playoff game. 

As a team, Dallas committed just three turnovers, which is a franchise record since that statistic began being tracked in 1982. 

Again, it took a historic night for the Mavs to pull off the much needed win. Now, they’ll head to Utah for the next two games of the series. Although the Jazz would have preferred to win both games without Doncic in the lineup this far, they’re still confident moving forward. 

“Two wins is great, but one win is good. We have to make adjustments,” said Rudy Gobert postgame. “It’s a marathon.” 

Jazz coach Quin Snyder has a similar mindset entering Game 3, realizing there’s still a ton of basketball left to be played. 

“This is the playoffs,” said Snyder after the loss. “It’s 1-1, we’re going back home. It’s a seven-game series.”

Utah struggled to defend the perimeter, which ultimately led to Dallas getting whatever it wanted offensively all over the court. 

“This is something we can fix,” said Donovan Mitchell postgame. 

A true x-factor in this series, veteran Mike Conley was held to zero points in Game 2, missing all seven of his shot attempts. Especially if Doncic comes back into the fold later in the series, Conley will need to contribute more offensively.  

Nonetheless, it’s a tied series with the Jazz hosting the next two games. Regardless of the personnel they’re up against, it’s a clean slate with five games remaining. 

“We are not going to overreact,” said Mitchell after Game 2. “We just have to go home and try and take care of business. They are going to try and get a split like we got a split here.”

Utah continues to dominate the boards with its size, but that proved to not be enough with the Dallas bigs knocking down triples at a high rate in Game 2. 

Moving forward, the status of Doncic will be a huge swing in how this series ends.  

The post Mavericks Ride Historic Night To Game 2 Victory Over Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

Entering the game, the Mavs knew they’d be without their best player in Luka Doncic. However, even without their star they nearly beat the Jazz. 

 “Hopefully he gets healthy,” said Jazz coach Quin Snyder. “You always want a great player to get the opportunity to play, whether he’s on your team or the other.”

Utah ultimately won Game 1 by a final score of 99-93. It was a contest in which scoring wasn’t plentiful, but also didn’t lack excitement. In a game of runs, it truly came down to the final minutes to determine a winner. 

When it came down to it, the size difference between the two rosters was the primary factor. The Mavericks lack a dominant 7-footer, as Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber (both 6-foot-10) filled out the center rotation on Saturday afternoon. 

That’s simply not enough size to match up against the Utah centers in Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside, who are both 7-foot-1. Additionally they’re both traditional bigs that are great on the glass. This proved to be a key differentiator, as Dallas was outrebounded 53 to 34. 

“We’ve just gotta rebound the ball, especially playing small. It’s just something we’ve gotta get better at,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd postgame. 

Regardless of when Doncic comes back, the battle on the boards is going to continue to be important. This series could ultimately come down to the style of play. If the Jazz continue to outmatch the Mavs with their size, they’ll have a huge advantage. On the flip side, if Dallas can have success with its small ball lineups and play Gobert and Whiteside off the floor, things could swing in the favor of the Mavericks. 

Both teams failed to score 100 points in Game 1, so every bucket really mattered throughout the contest. It was a tale of two halves for the Jazz, as Bojan Bogdanovic carried the offense in the first half while Donovan Mitchell shouldered the load in the second. 

Of the 45 points Utah scored in the first half, Bogdanovic account for nearly half with 20. In the second half, Mitchell produced 30 of his 32 points on the afternoon. 

While the Jazz didn’t have a consistent primary scorer across the entire game, they got the points they needed in bunches from two of their best offensive players. Gobert finished with just five points on one field goal attempt, but made his impact on the glass and on defense. 

“We had a chance, held them under 100 points. That was tough,” said Spencer Dinwiddie after the loss. 

Although Utah came out on top in Game 1, Dallas should feel extremely optimistic. Without their best player, the Mavericks legitimately had a shot to win. You could argue that when Doncic comes back, the Mavs should be favorites the rest of the way.  

The guard duo of Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson combined for 46 points, but will need to be more efficient moving forward. Those two took a total of 39 shots to produce those points. 

The Mavs started hot from beyond the arc, but cooled off as the game went on. They finished 9-of-32 (28.1%) from deep on the afternoon. If just a couple more of those shots would have gone down, the outcome of this game could have easily been different. 

The Jazz got the win, but it wasn’t necessarily convincing against a shorthanded Mavericks team. This series could still go either way. 

“We’ve got to do a better job of making the easy shots,” said Brunson looking ahead to the next matchup. “We missed a lot of easy shots. Gotta follow our game plan and stick together.”

Game 2 will take place in Dallas once again on Monday evening. 

The post Jazz Win Game 1 With Size, Mavericks Feel Optimistic Moving Forward appeared first on SLAM.

You can now add Donovan Mitchell to that list after he erupted for 37 points after drawing a technical foul in the third quarter after protesting an earlier non-call. In response, Mitchell destroyed everything in sight and went off on a historic scoring spree to blow Chicago out of the water.

In that same third quarter, Spida exploded to reset the Jazz record for points scored in the third frame with 25 points, passing Karl Malone’s 22 points as the Jazz beat the Bulls 125-110 on Wednesday night.

@spidadmitchell was unconscious in the 3rd-quarter to the tune of 25 points and 7 made three-pointers. He finished the game with a career-high 9 3PM!

: 37 PTS, 5 AST, 9 3PM pic.twitter.com/KUn7vX7EIn

— NBA (@NBA) March 17, 2022

“Once I saw the three on the wide pin go down, it was on,” Mitchell said via ESPN. “From there, I just started getting to my spots and do what I do. Sometimes you just gotta go to that place inside you.”

Mitchell also set a franchise record by knocking down seven three-point shots in the third period on nine attempts. The former Louisville Cardinal ended the night with a career-high nine three-pointers, topping his previous career-high of seven.

What a night for @spidadmitchell:

Second-most points in a game this season (37)
Tied a career-high for threes in a game (9)
Set a new franchise high for threes in a quarter (7)
Set a new franchise high for points in the 3rd (25)#PerformanceLeader | @UofUHealth pic.twitter.com/Js6h6eDbmk

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 17, 2022

Then when the Bulls started double teaming to get the ball out of his hands, it opened up opportunities for Nickeil Alexander-Walker to score 14 of his 16 points in the final quarter. Mitchell spoke about him as well.

“I was really happy for Nickeil because people don’t see that every morning before shootaround; those guys are in there at 8 o’clock working out and going hard too,” Mitchell said.

On Friday night, Mitchell and the Utah Jazz (43-26) host the Los Angeles Clippers (36-36).

The post Donovan Mitchell Explodes For A Career Night in Utah’s Win Over Chicago appeared first on SLAM.

In their four games since resuming the season, the Pelicans have dominated their opponents at least 30 points in each contest, winning by an impressive average of 26.8 points per game. Since the All-Star break, New Orleans has been the NBA’s best defensive team, limiting three of their opponents to only 95.5 points per game.

The beat keeps going for the Pelicans as they routed the Utah Jazz Friday night, 124-90. New Orleans had runs of 10-0 and 9-0 to build a 35-17 first-quarter lead that grew to as large as 37 points late in the third frame.

Pelicans forward Jaxson Hayes has been a difference-maker on the defensive end. He shared his observations on the team’s improvement after the game.

“I feel like we’ve done a great job as a team defensively. Everyone is picking up everyone’s slack. If somebody gets beat, somebody is there. Our team defense as a whole has gotten really good.” Hayes said via ESPN.

He also put on a Play of the Year candidate with this insane putback dunk early in the first quarter.

Jaxson Hayes soars in for the put-back slam!

Watch the @PelicansNBA on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/oz9UCQxdQa pic.twitter.com/CqUQAmhseC

— NBA (@NBA) March 5, 2022

The Pelicans used their stifling defense to shut down the NBA’s highest-scoring team to only 35.2 percent shooting while holding their leading scorer, Donovan Mitchell, to only 14 points on 5-18 shooting after averaging 32.6 points in his previous five games.

The Pelicans will have a chance to test their improved defense against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

The post New Orleans Pelicans Show Defensive Prowess Blowing Out the Utah Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

The game was tied late when Donovan Mitchell dished to Mike Conley as he stumbled in the lane, and Conley dropped a triple from the right corner to put Utah up 117-114 with 8.3 seconds to go in the fourth.

A look at that @mconley11 triple pic.twitter.com/tpNFYAWdZD

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 3, 2022

However, Rockets forward Christian Wood tied the game moments later with a last-second three-pointer to force overtime.

Conley carried his momentum into the extra period to bail the Utah Jazz out for a 132-127 win, their third straight. The 34-year-old point guard scored nine of his 15 points, eight assists, and four steals in the extra period.

When the Rockets took a 124-123 lead on a three-point play from Kevin Porter Jr., Conley responded with consecutive three-pointers to give Utah a five-point lead, and some needed breathing room with just over a minute left in the game.

Cool.
Calm.
Conley. pic.twitter.com/1YNmvFsMpB

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 3, 2022

Then the Ohio State product closed out the game at the free-throw line with three crucial free throws, cementing a 132-127 Jazz win over the Rockets. After the game, Conley talked about the trust he’s built with Mitchell and how he mentally dealt with the pressure of overtime.

| “That time of the game, there’s something about it. You want to lock in a little bit more.”#walkoffinterview | @lhmauto pic.twitter.com/JPJssaCPik

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 3, 2022

The Utah Jazz (39-22) have won nine of their last ten games going into their matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on(26-36) on Friday.

The post Mike Conley Shines In Overtime to Lead the Utah Jazz to Win Over Houston appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday night, LeBron James and Kevin Durant – the two captains for the All-Star game – selected their teams for the All-Star Game taking place in just under two weeks.

Each captain had to select their starting lineups first and then select their reserves. Because Durant is injured and will not be playing in the game, nine players were available to be drafted instead of eight, with Jayson Tatum replacing Durant as a starter.

James opened the draft up by selecting Giannis Antetokounmpo first overall, with Durant using his first pick to draft Joel Embiid.

James rounded off his starting lineup by selecting Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Jokic. Durant’s starting lineup will consist of Embiid, Tatum, Ja Morant, Andrew Wiggins, and Trae Young. Wiggins and Young were the final two starters selected in the draft.

Between the two, Durant has the least experienced starting lineup with Wiggins and Morant, both first-time All-Stars and Young just in his second All-Star Game.

Durant got the first pick to open up the reserves section of the draft and used the pick to select Devin Booker, and James used his first pick to draft Luka Doncic.

Durant filled out his reserves by selecting Karl Anthony-Towns, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, Khris Middleton, LaMelo Ball, and Rudy Gobert.

James reserves will be Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet, and James Harden.

Harden was the last pick of the All-Star Draft, with Durant creating a funny moment where he opted against drafting his former teammate, who was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, to take Gobert instead.

The All-Star Game is scheduled to occur in Cleveland on Sunday, Feb. 20.

The post NBA All-Star Teams Set, Giannis Antetokounmpo Selected First Overall appeared first on SLAM.

Mitchell appeared to have taken a shot to the head just before halftime in Utah’s 101-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, and the symptoms became apparent after the game.

This is the play where Donovan Mitchell was hurt last night, leading to him being in the concussion protocol and out for the Jazz’s game against the Rockets tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Eb2Fd3niyi

— Sarah Todd (@NBASarah) January 19, 2022

ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the news of the Jazz placing him into the concussion protocols.

The Jazz are entering Donovan Mitchell into concussion protocol, team says. Contact occurred in second quarter of loss to Lakers on Monday night.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 19, 2022

Mitchell finished the game with 13 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. As of Wednesday, he averages 25.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.

The Utah Jazz is out to a strong start with a 29-15 record, which places them at fourth in the Western Conference. However, the Jazz will need Mitchell back as soon as possible to keep pace with the Warriors and Suns at the top of the standings and a surging Memphis Grizzlies team now occupying the third seed.

The Jazz will look for reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson, who has shined previously in big games with veteran wing Joe Ingles and Rudy Gobert to fill minutes against Houston potentially.

The post Donovan Mitchell Put in Concussion Protocol and Held Out Against Rockets appeared first on SLAM.

The Utah Jazz are hiring Danny Ainge as alternate governor and CEO, sources tell ESPN. Ainge will oversee basketball and Justin Zanik will remain GM.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 15, 2021

Smith hired Ainge after he stepped down as the Celtics’ president of basketball operations after last season. Ainge was the Celtics’ top basketball executive and helped build the first Big 3 of the modern NBA when he acquired Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to team up with Paul Pierce. Those additions helped the Celtics win a title in 2008 and led to him winning Executive of the Year the same year.

As CEO, he will be in charge of basketball operations for the Jazz and will be working closely with Utah general manager Justin Zanik.

“We have big aspirations for Smith Entertainment Group and the Utah Jazz. Danny is one of the best basketball minds in the world, and he’s also passionate about this state and our community,” Smith said in a statement. “We believe in adding the best talent to all facets of our organization and are lucky to have Danny’s acumen and experience.”

Ainge was reportedly a candidate for an executive position with Trail Blazers recently. Ainge replaces Dennis Lindsey, who helped build the Jazz into a championship contender after drafting Rudy Gobert, and Donovan Mitchell, who have morphed into All-Stars. Last summer, Lindsey moved into a consultant role after serving as executive vice president of basketball operations for nine seasons.

“Rarely do you get an opportunity to come into a franchise that is this close to being a special team. It’s a very unique opportunity.” Ainge told Tim McMahon of ESPN.

The post Danny Ainge Returns to the NBA as Jazz CEO and Governor appeared first on SLAM.

Drake’s Certified Lover Boy is on, and Mitchell quietly sings along to “Love All” in between takes. The lyrics seem to echo a truth that’s reflective of his own journey. 

Lotta fallin’ outs help me build foundation…

Now in his fifth year in the NBA, Mitchell is on a mission to do something that’s never been done before in the Beehive State—win the franchise’s first NBA title.

“It’s not like this is a regular occurrence here [in Utah],” Mitchell says of winning a ’chip. “This isn’t like the Lakers where they have [17] of them. This is us. The team, the organization has never won one. So, how meaningful would that be? If you look at three or four years ago, Kawhi went to Toronto [and] that was a truly special moment for the country, for the team, for the organization. That excitement, we want to be the last team standing for many different reasons but that’s a big one as well—to be able to bring the first one here in history.” 

SLAM 235 featuring Donovan Mitchell is available now!

That’s always been the mission for Don since the minute he arrived in Salt Lake City as the No. 13 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft after two years at Louisville. While Mitchell has been a lead catalyst for the franchise’s success over the years, he’s also learned that it’s all about the work that it takes to get there. 

“I came into the League as a surprise,” he says. “I tell people all the time, it’s one thing to get drafted, but [it’s another] to be able to do this on a year-to-year basis, day-to-day. I think [that] is definitely what sets guys over the top. That’s my goal every year—to come out being the same player who gets better each year and you know what to expect coming from me, and I think that’s definitely what I’ve learned from my rookie year—the work. You gotta stick to it, the work doesn’t stop because you had one good season or one good game.”

Although his rookie campaign started on a slower note, that “surprise” came eight games in—he had back-to-back 20-plus point performances against Portland and Toronto, and by December, he dropped 41 points against the Pelicans, becoming the first rookie to score 40-plus points in a game since Blake Griffin did it in 2011, while also setting the franchise rookie scoring record. Two months later, Spida—a nickname he earned as a kid by a teammate’s father because of his long arms—paid homage to Vince Carter’s iconic 360 windmill dunk and snagged the 2018 Dunk Contest title. By the end of the season, Mitchell had led all rookies in scoring with 20.5 points per game, was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and was a runner-up for Rookie of the Year. 

And yet, even with all of his early success, Mitchell told SLAM in 2018 that he could “care less” about whether or not he won the award. What he did care about was making a “playoff push.” The Jazz advanced to the playoffs that year, and rookie Don seemed ready for the moment, popping off with a 27-point performance in Game 1 against the Thunder, and another 28 points in Game 2—his combined 55 points were the most ever by a shooting guard in the first two postseason games of their career, a record that once belonged to Michael Jordan (53). The Jazz advanced all the way to the Western Conference semifinals, where they lost to Houston in five games. 

 Still, that was just the foundation, the first layer to the building blocks that Mitchell was establishing as a future All-Star and face of the franchise. Looking back on his first year, Mitchell does have a message for his younger self, though: 

“Slow down. I think just understanding the game and letting the game come to you,” he says when asked what he learned as a rookie. “You’re not always going to go get it every game, being able to kind of pace yourself for an 82-game season. I really don’t want to say much to my younger self because without those bumps in the road, without those mistakes, victories and success, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. Maybe if I learned some things earlier, I’d be better now, but I think for me, just being able to go through those mistakes, [going] through those things allows me to be the player I am today.”

This exclusive SLAM 235 cover featuring Spida is available only on SLAM Goods.

By his third year in the L, Mitchell’s game had only gotten better. He went from averaging 20.5 points as a rookie to having career-highs in nearly every category, including points (24.0), assists (4.3) and boards (4.4). His dunks had somehow gotten even more explosive, his layup package was more impressive and the behind-the-back dimes to teammate Rudy Gobert had become all too easy. 

Mitchell was named an All-Star for the first time in his career that season, and the Jazz ultimately embarked on a playoff run against Denver in the Orlando bubble. His numbers were astronomical. He broke Karl Malone’s previous franchise playoff scoring record by dropping 57 points in Game 1, which was also the third most points in playoff history. He followed that up with 51 points in Game 4. 

When he screamed, “I WANT THIS SH**!” that game, it was clear, especially then, that he truly did. After losing to the Nuggets in Game 7, an emotional Mitchell knew that yet another shortcoming was just the start to something great. 

“This is me scratching the surface,” he said after the game, per ESPN. “This ain’t the end. This is just the beginning.” 

Grab the top spot, like pardon my reach… 

The 2020-21 season marked new beginnings. Mitchell returned with a vengeance, averaging a career-high 26.4 points and 5.2 assists. He’d also added a deeper three-point shooting range to his bag, which—considering the fact that he was already equipped with absurd athleticism and elite playmaking abilities—made him that much more lethal. 

While an ankle sprain in April would force him to miss 16 games, the setback only led to a major comeback when he returned at the end of May, just in time for the playoffs. The Jazz, who had finished with a League-best record (52-20) for the first time in franchise history, as well as the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference, took out Memphis in the first round in five games. Playoff Don was on a different type of time and made a statement early in the second round, dropping 45 points in Game 1 against the Clippers, followed by back-to-back-to-back 30-plus point performances in the next three games. The momentum was there, but for another consecutive year, it wasn’t enough.

“I didn’t watch basketball until Game 6 of the Finals,” Mitchell admits when asked how he felt emotionally after the elimination. “It just didn’t sit right with me. I felt like we had the opportunity to make it to the Finals, and for me, that was the first time I’d ever done that. It allowed me to sit back and approach the game differently, my training—obviously I was hurt, so I had to rehab, too, but I had to approach my whole summer differently.”

During the offseason, Mitchell let out his frustrations in the weight room and in on-court drills with trainer Chris Brickley. Those sessions became his escape, and the loss only added to his motivation.

“It adds fuel to the fire, it adds an element of, OK, we got to the second round, now how do we get to the conference finals? How do we get past that? We lost Game 7 two years ago in the first round, like, finding ways to level up and get better each year. If you let it absorb you, it can deter you from what your goal is, so for me, it’s being able to let it fuel my fire, fuel our fire as a team and go out there and improve in each category that I need to for myself, and the team as well.”

This season is another opportunity to run it back and build on what the Jazz have accomplished over the past few years. It’s still early, but they’ve been off to a solid start so far. As of this writing, they’re 8-3 with a No. 2 standing in the West. What’ll set them apart, Mitchell says, is how they perform when it counts.  

“We’re a pretty good team, [but] we’ve got to perform when it’s time. That’s no secret, that’s the biggest thing. We’re a good regular season team and we’ve had success in the playoffs, but we haven’t had the ultimate success. We haven’t gotten past the second round. That’s pretty much what we’re looking at ourselves [for]. Obviously, the external stuff is what it is, but internally, whatever you hear—multiply that times 10 and that’s what I’m thinking. You know what I mean? 

“Of course, we want to be able to make it past the second round, conference finals and Finals. So for me, that’s where it’s at for us. We’ve got to be able to do things the way that’ll work and we can’t skip steps throughout the year. We got to continue to go through what we’ve been going through, take care of what we need to take care of and we got to be ready.”

Woke up one day and it was all on me

If it comes down, it’s gon’ fall on me…

As for his own goals, Mitchell’s mindset has stayed the same since day 1. While he’s projected to have even better numbers than he did last year (according to Basketball Reference), it’s still not about individual accolades for him. 

“Unfortunately, I didn’t win Rookie of the Year [in 2018] and I didn’t make All-NBA last year, although I feel I should have, [but] it is what it is. For me, it’s all about winning. Winning takes care of everything in this League—if you’re able to win, you’re able to be top in the West, top in the NBA, everything else takes care of itself…For myself, it’s understanding that it’s not about you or the individual stuff, because you could be an individual award winner and not win a championship. The goal is to win a championship.” 

With Dwyane Wade in his corner as the new co-owner of the Jazz, Mitchell has been able to learn from someone who has reached the heights he’s trying to get to. 

“He’s just passing the game down, passing the knowledge down, and I appreciate that,” Mitchell says of Wade. “It doesn’t have to always be that way, that’s not always the case with guys. I ask a thousand questions and he’s always ready to answer it. There’s certain times where it’s like, Nah, bro, you know the answer. You need that, there’s definitely times for that, no matter how old you get or how experienced you get. There’s always times where it’s like, Figure it out. I think that’s why I’m thankful for him because he’s always able to keep it real.”

While on a press tour for his new memoir, DWYANE, Wade recalls the first time he met Mitchell, when he was playing against him. “I think I was in Cleveland at the time, and he was guarding me. I got a chance to size him up and I was like, He’s little,” he says, later adding, “but he was so explosive.”

When asked what advice he’d give to Mitchell about reaching the next level, Wade says, “Losing, it hurts, but it helps at the same time. He’s been knocked out of the playoffs, he’s had injuries. He has things to get that chip on his shoulder, he has experience…But, make sure that your effort every day is championship quality effort. Make sure you carry yourself as a champion, so that when you become one, when you get that opportunity, it’s not foreign to you. You know how to act, you know how to do it, you know how to respond to it.” 

Just as Mitchell embraces Salt Lake, they’ve shown him love right back. His impact is everywhere, from the sea of No. 45 jerseys in the crowd at Vivint Smart Home Arena to the way that crowd goes insane when he pulls up from three and nails one in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve had greats play for this organization. You got Karl Malone, John Stockton, so many legends that have played for this team. For us, that motivation, being the first one to do it, I think is definitely in our heads when we’re out there and competing. But, more importantly, we want to do it for each other, our coaches, our staff. That’s something that’s great, that we have that as a group. We’re connected. We’re locked in as a group and we want to be able to give our fans a show and bring one to Utah.” 

These SLAM 235 metal editions are available now. Shop here.

Portraits Atiba Jefferson.

The post Man on a Mission: Donovan Mitchell is Focused on Bringing Utah Its First-Ever NBA Title appeared first on SLAM.

Gobert and Myles Turner got into it pic.twitter.com/M9Rkb6IwYz

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 12, 2021

It all started when Pacers center Myles Turner shoved Rudy Gobert in the back after a missed layup while screaming an expletive. Gobert responded by trying to drag him to the floor. Then the two started wrestling before being separated.

After the game, Turner blamed the scuffle on Gobert, knocking him down on a previous play via NBA.com.

“I had to stand up for myself in that situation,” Turner said. “I don’t think I did anything wrong. But that’s not for me to decide. We’ll talk to the League and see what happens from there.”

Rudy Gobert has his reflection on the incident via The Salt Lake Tribune.

“Guys need to stop acting like they’re going to do more and [just] play basketball,” Gobert said.

“And if they do want to do more, let’s do it outside the court and without security, and then we’ll figure it out. But on the court, ain’t nobody going to do s—. Let’s stop acting like we’re about that life. Most guys are not.

Donovan Mitchell, who yelled at the Pacers bench before getting ejected finished with 26 points, five rebounds, and four dimes, blamed the referees for allowing too much physical play early to build up frustrations on both sides.

“That whole thing could have been avoided — just draw the line early, as opposed to letting it build-up for the whole game,” Mitchell said.

The League has made no announcements of fines or suspensions yet.

The post Rudy Gobert and Myles Turner Reflect On Scuffle That Lead to 4 Ejections appeared first on SLAM.

However, Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is singing a different tune.

In a recent interview with The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Mitchell discussed how he’s now “appreciative” of his injury and how it forced him to expand his game:

“I’ve kind of got to a point where I’m appreciative of the injury for myself,” Mitchell said. “For my personal growth on and off the floor, I think that injury really… kept me on the ground for the entire playoffs, and it allowed me to have to make decisions on the ground. Slow it down. Different things that really opened things up to (where) I was like, ‘OK, this is another level, (a) layer of my game that I can get to without (the athleticism).”

During last year’s playoffs, Mitchell was noted to be battling an ankle injury, but looking at his numbers, you’d never think it was bothering him. Over the course of the 10 playoff games he played last season, Mitchell averaged 32.3 points, 5.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from three.

Mitchell also showed why he was an All-Star during the regular season, averaging 26.4 points and 5.5 assists per game as he continued to demonstrate his growth as a playmaker and shooter. Suffice it to say, his play was a primary factor in the Jazz winding up first-place in the Western Conference standing with an league-best 52-20 record.

As he continues to emerge as one of the NBA’s best young talents, Utah will only go as far as their electrifying star will take them. Nonetheless, if his mindset is any indication of what to expect, the Jazz can trust that he’ll continue to lead their franchise in the right direction.

The post Donovan Mitchell ‘Appreciative’ of Recent Ankle Injury appeared first on SLAM.

The Jazz have pushed the luxury tax significantly keeping Conley on the roster, as both Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell have recently signed five-year extensions worth $368 million combined.

Amid the news, Conley took to Twitter excitedly announcing his return:

Conley’s past two seasons with Utah have been dampened by recurring hamstring issues, resulting in him sitting out of the Jazz’s entire Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

Although injuries have been no stranger to the well-rounded veteran, he’s still been a key figure in Utah’s backcourt, tallying a stat line of 16.2 points, 6.0 assists and 3.5 boards per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field (42.1 percent from three).

The new deal also allows Conley to be reunited with former Grizzlies teammate, Rudy Gay, who has signed a two-year deal with the Jazz.

The post REPORT: All-Star Mike Conley Agrees to 3-Year, $72.5M Contract with Jazz appeared first on SLAM.

Mitchell missed the final 16 regular-season games and the Jazz’s playoff opener with this ankle sprain he suffered in mid-April. 

In Game 5, Mitchell was clearly bothered by it, having his worst game of this playoff stretch by far. 

Mitchell spoke to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon after Utah’s crushing Game 5 loss, saying the ankle injury is just something he’s going to have to deal with. 

“It’s something I’m going to have to deal with. I mean, it f—ing sucks. I ain’t got nothing else to say. Like, it’s tough when you’re trying different things that you normally do and you see spots you can get to, but you can’t, so you got to find a way to make it happen.”

On the brink of elimination, Mitchell will need to do everything in his power to get the Jazz back on track. They’re currently down 3-2 to the LA Clippers with Game 6 set to take place Friday night. 

The post Utah’s Donovan Mitchell Opens Up About Ankle Injury While Facing Elimination appeared first on SLAM.

Donovan Mitchell, known among the NBA fans and fraternity as “Spida”, went off in Tuesday night’s Western Conference semifinals matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers.

In what would be a 112-109 win for Mitchell’s Utah Jazz in Game 1, Spida’s 16-point third quarter lifted the Jazz over the Clippers, as he finished the game with a game-high 45 points, five assists and three rebounds.

I guess you can say NOBODY had an answer for what Donovan was bringing to the table.

While Spida’s performance drove Utah on Tuesday, the superhero in disguise was none other than defensive stalwart Rudy Gobert, whose game-winning block on a Marcus Morris 3-point attempt sealed a victory for the Jazz.

The good news didn’t stop at Utah’s nail-biter win, as the victory secured the Jazz’s 60th win (including preseason games) of the season, announcing the 60 scholarships they will be funding for students in underrepresented groups.

The Jazz will host the Clippers on Thursday night at 10 PM ET.

The post Donovan Mitchell Goes Off in Game 1 as Jazz Dispatch Clippers appeared first on SLAM.

SHOWTIME JA. (via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/geI6einfoE

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

At one point in the 2nd quarter, Morant attempted to defy gravity single-handedly but was no match for Rudy Gobert’s timely block. Do you think that stopped the former ROY? Nah. It was clear that Ja was on his Grizzly.

“I’m not afraid,” Morant says, per ESPN. “I mean, that’s his job: to protect the rim. My job when I’m attacking the rim is to go finish. Obviously, he got a good block, but as you seen, I was right back inside the paint.”

LOOK AT THIS pic.twitter.com/c4TkVEDShz

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) May 27, 2021

According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Morant managed to drop double-digit points in every quarter of Game 2, bringing the Grizzlies back from a 20-point deficit in the third to a 2-point Jazz lead. Morant was 15-of-26 from the floor and 15-of 20 from the free-throw line.

His spectacular 47-point performance is the most in NBA playoff history by a player 21-years of age or younger, as well as a franchise record for the playoffs. The only other players to drop 40 in the postseason include previous LeBron James (45), Magic Johnson, Tracy McGrady, and Luka Doncic.

Morant has also placed himself on the list of greats who scored the most points in their first two career playoff games.

Ja is making history pic.twitter.com/y35OJH5BDF

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 27, 2021

“Honestly, it’s not that surprising,” Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell says, per ESPN. “He’s a gamer. He goes out there and competes…Tonight, he was aggressive from the jump. At a young age, for him to be able to have that is definitely special. That’s something that I respect about him and about his game. He doesn’t quit.”

Although Morant finished with 47 pts, 7 dimes, and 4 rebounds, he still wasn’t satisfied with how the night ended. The Grizzlies were outscored by the Jazz in a 141-129 Game 2 loss tying the match-up 1-1.

“We lost,” Morant says, per ESPN. “Obviously it wasn’t enough.”

The Game 3 faceoff will take place on Saturday, with the Grizzlies having a home advantage.

The post Ja Morant Makes Franchise History in 47-Point Game 2 Performance appeared first on SLAM.

Utah guard Donovan Mitchell will end up missing the final three games—having missed the last 13 games prior to—with a sprained right ankle. Mitchell has been on the sidelines since April 16th.

The team not only announced that he would miss the rest of the regular season, but would not travel with the team on their last road trip.

Mitchell will not travel with the Jazz for the team’s upcoming road trip and will remain in Salt Lake City to continue treatment. He will be re-evaluated prior to the start of the NBA Playoffs.

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) May 11, 2021

Last week, there was a possibility of a Mitchell return to the lineup against Oklahoma City on May 14 or the Sacramento Kings on May 16. However, this decision will allow Donovan more time to rest and recover before the playoffs begin on May 22.

With the Phoenix Suns losing two straight games, Utah (50-19) currently has a two-game lead atop the Western Conference with three games to go in the season that most likely will lock up the number-one seed.

The two-time All-Star finishes the regular season with a career-high 26.4 points with 5.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds.

The post Donovan Mitchell Out For Rest of the Regular Season With Ankle appeared first on SLAM.

Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell was re-evaluated by the team’s medical staff today for a sprained ankle he sustained vs. Indiana on April 16.

He continues to make progress towards a return and will be re-evaluated in one week.

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) May 7, 2021

Mitchell sustained the injury three weeks ago after an awkward fall against the Indiana Pacers. He was diagnosed with a severe right ankle sprain.

The All-Star guard was posting career highs of 26.4 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.4 rebounds for the Jazz, shooting 43.8 percent from the floor and 38.6 percent from the three-point line.

Despite Mitchell missing 11 games, the Jazz has still been able to maintain their spot at the top of the Western Conference. They are currently in a neck-and-neck battle with the Phoenix Suns for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, leading by one game.

Based on the team’s timeline for evaluations, Donovan Mitchell’s possible last chances for regular-season action could be against Oklahoma City on May 14 and the Sacramento Kings on May 16.

The post Donovan Mitchell Likely Out For Another Week Due to Ankle Sprain appeared first on SLAM.

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Mitchell’s MRI revealed no structural damage, but he’s “expected to miss several games before he’s cleared to return.”

The injury came in the final seconds of the third quarter, as Pacers forward Edmond Sumner initiated what appeared to be incidental contact with Mitchell as he fell.

Mitchell averaging a career-highs of 26.4 points and 5.2 assists per game, while knocking down the sixth-most 3-pointers (178) of any player this season.

The Jazz, with a league-leading 42-14 record, have 16 games remaining on their schedule. With Mitchell’s anticipated absence, the Phoenix Suns (just 1.0 game back from Utah at 40-15), will have a chance to reclaim the top spot in the Western Conference standings prior to the start of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

The post Donovan Mitchell to Miss Multiple Games Following Ankle Sprain appeared first on SLAM.

A participant in the 2021 MTN DEW 3-Point Contest — an All-Star Weekend event since the 1985-86 season — Curry defeated Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, Utah Jazz guards Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell, along with Boston Celtics wings Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to emerge as the victor.

While Brown, LaVine and Mitchell would be eliminated in the first round (with LaVine and Mitchell attempting to become the first former Slam Dunk champions to win a 3-point contest), Curry looked hot from the start as he scored a record 31 points.

Despite Conley (a late addition for injured Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker) giving Curry a run for his money in the final round, the Warriors icon is now a two-time 3-Point champion and the first since Jason Kapono (2007, 2008).

He would dedicate the victory to teammate Klay Thompson, who will miss the entire 2020-21 season with an Achilles tear.

During the contest, MTN DEW would award $100,000 in scholarships to two students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The post Stephen Curry Wins 2021 NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest appeared first on SLAM.

Incensed for being assessed a technical on two separate plays, Mitchell would suggest that referees consistently make bad calls against the Jazz during his postgame presser. Though giving credit to Philadelphia for their performance, the All-Star believes that the game was “taken” from Utah.

Per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps:

” We competed. But it’s tough. It’s tough to go out there and see how we fight and compete, and to have a game like that taken from us,”

“Now, I’m never ever one to blame a ref, to blame an official — I can say I could have done more — but this is getting out of hand. There have been games like this that we’ve won; there have been games like this that we’ve lost. But this whole refereeing stuff. … We’re nice, we don’t complain, like, we don’t get frustrated, we fight through things, and the fact that we continually get … screwed, in a way, by this. You know?

The Jazz, led by Mitchell, controlled the majority of the game, until late in the fourth quarter when MVP candidate Joel Embid tied the game with a clutch 3-pointer to force overtime.

In the overtime period, the Jazz would prove no match for the Sixers. Eventually, an increasingly led to more frustration from Utah and Mitchell’s untimely ejection.

Mitchell did his part while on the court as he scored 33 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 6 assist. Still after the game for Mitchell, it was all about his frustrations towards the refs.

“We won this game, in my personal opinion. You know?” Mitchell continued.

All-Star center Rudy Gobert was also critical of the officiating:

“Our guys are not able to get calls everybody else in the f—ing league gets,” Gobert said. “We know we are the Utah Jazz, and maybe some people don’t want to see us go as far as we can go, but it’s disappointing.

“Three times in a row, Mike Conley is going to the rim, and they’re grabbing him right in front of the officials, and there’s no calls. And on the other end, there are calls that are invisible that are being made.”

Both Gobert and Mitchell who picked up 5 fouls in the game, were also referring to how this is an on-going problem and not the first time the refs dictated the outcome of their game.

“I think it’s disrespectful, to be honest, to the game of basketball and to our team, and hopefully, they’re going to watch the game when they get home,” Gobert added.

“But it’s very disappointing to be disrespected like that. … It’s not just one play, because we all make mistakes. I have a lot of respect for the officials. It’s a tough job. I think they try their best, but it was too obvious tonight. They can’t make it that obvious. We’re going to watch film and do all that and keep getting better, but we deserve more respect as a team and as human beings for all the work we put in.”

The Jazz will head into the All-Star break and have almost a week off. They finished the first-half of the season with No.1 seed in the Western Conference and best record across the league.

The post Jazz Stars Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert Sound Off on Officiating After OT Loss appeared first on SLAM.

The three-point contest will be headlined by two former champions of the event, the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker. The remainder of the three-point contest will be made up by the Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine, Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell and Boston Celtics’ duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. All six of the players competing in the three-point contest will also be playing in the All-Star Game.

The NBA skills challenge will have a first-time winner, as all six entrants have yet to win the event. Five of the six players competing will be playing in the All-Star Game, those are the Suns’ Chris Paul, Dallas Mavericks’ guard Luka Doncic, Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis, New York Knicks’ forward Julius Randle and Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic. Portland Trailblazers’ forward Robert Covington is the lone participant in the skills challenge who will not feature in the All-Star Game.

That is in sharp contrast to the dunk contest participants, none of whom will be playing in the All-Star game and all of whom will be participating for the first time. The dunk contest features just three players this year, two rookies in Pacers’ Cassius Stanley and Knicks’ Obi Toppin, and the Trailblazers’ Anfernee Simons. The dunk contest has a star-studded cast of judges, all of which are former winners. Dominique Wilkins, Dee Brown, Spud Webb, Josh Smith and Jason Richardson will be the five judging the event.

These events will take place on the same day as the All-Star Game, Sunday, March 7. The skills challenge and three-point contest will occur before the game, with the dunk contest being performed at halftime.

The post NBA Announces Participants For All-Star Skills Challenge, Three-Point And Dunk Contest appeared first on SLAM.

With how good they’ve been, there doesn’t appear to be any buzz around the League for either of their stars to be in the MVP race. In an interview with Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, Clarkson expressed his opinion that both Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell should be in the conversation for MVP. 

“Donovan, Rudy, both of these guys are impact players and superstars. I don’t see why they wouldn’t be in the conversation.”

Gobert and Mitchell have been exceptional. When it comes to anchoring their defense, Gobert has once again been the key driver for their success on that end of the floor. At this point in the season, he’s averaging 2.8 blocks per game to go along with 14.2 points and 13.2 rebounds per contest. 

Mitchell is unstoppable on the offensive end of the floor. He’s averaging 24.4 points and 5.4 assists per game while shooting .380 from deep on 8.6 attempts per contest. The Jazz have an offensive rating of 117.0 this season, good for third in the league, behind Mitchell as their primary scorer. 

While there are many superstars who deserve to be in the MVP race, perhaps Clarkson has a point about Mitchell and Gobert. Historically, the NBA Most Valuable Player has been on one of the better teams in the league that season. With the highest net rating in the league as well as the best record, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell deserve more credit. 

The post Jordan Clarkson Thinks Rudy Gobert And Donovan Mitchell Deserve More Recognition appeared first on SLAM.

These 14 reserves will join the starters (10 in total) that were named last week — a list headlined by team captains LeBron James and Kevin Durant (of the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, respectively).

Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul leads the way in All-Star appearances among this group, playing in his 11^th All-Star Game this year. Paul is only one of three players in this year’s event with at least 10 All-Star appearances, the other two being LeBron and Durant.

Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden has the next highest mark among the reserves. The Beard is playing his ninth All-Star game but his first representing the Eastern Conference thanks his well-publicized trade from the Houston Rockets.

Harden is one of three Nets in the All-Star Game alongside starters Durant and Irving.

Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis is an All-Star for not just the eighth time in his career but the eighth time in a row. Davis has been an All-Star every season of his career, with the only exception being his rookie season in 2012-13.

Another veteran of the All-Star Game, Los Angeles Clippers wing Paul George, makes his return to the All-Star Game for the seventh time after missing last year’s festivities.

Right behind him, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard finds himself in his sixth All-Star Game.

Dame Dolla has the highest scoring average of the All-Star reserves, averaging 29.6 points per game, the fourth-highest number in the league. Lillard will also participate in the All-Star 3-Point Contest.

On the flip side, Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons is averaging just 15.7 points per game but is making his third All-Star Game because of his excellent playmaking – 7.9 assists per game – and defense for the Sixers.

Nikola Vucevic, Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum will all be making their second appearances.

Four players from the reserves will be playing in their first-ever All-Star Games. Julius Randle, Zach LaVine, Jaylen Brown and Zion Williamson will make their first All-Star appearances.

The post NBA Announces 2021 All-Star Game Reserves appeared first on SLAM.

Perhaps what’s been most important for the Jazz is their continuity and chemistry this season. In a unique year, where things feel very different, this team has looked as fluid as any in the league. Perhaps that’s the advantage of having a similar core over the past couple of seasons while the rest of the league has mostly assembled brand new rosters.

Over this 19 game stretch, Utah has been near the top of the league in quite a few categories. For starters, their defense has been as good or better as it’s ever been, with a league-leading 105.6 defensive rating over this stretch. They are also ranked top-five in the League in blocks (5.8 blocks per contest).

Offensively, the Jazz have played with the eighth-slowest pace in the league, working through their half-court offense and generating quality shots while posting the second-best offensive rating of any team. They’ve attempted the most three-pointers in the league over this stretch and, finally, they’ve taken care of the glass, dominating in that category with 48.5 rebounds per game, which is best in the league over these 19 games.

With Rudy Gobert once again playing as one of the best defenders in the NBA along with Donovan Mitchell torching opposing defenses, Utah has been extremely efficient on both ends of the floor. Not only do the Jazz have a well-rounded starting lineup, but they also have an excellent bench that is headlined by NBA Sixth Man of the Year Candidate, Jordan Clarkson.

The post How The Utah Jazz Have Put Together 18 Wins In 19 Games appeared first on SLAM.

Impressively, the Jazz now sit atop the Western Conference with the best record in the entire NBA at 14-4, having won ten straight games. This comes on the shoulders of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, who have shown to be worth the massive contracts they signed this offseason.

After their most recent win, Rudy Gobert spoke to the media about the success that Utah has seen recently.

“I really think that’s probably the first time since I’ve been here that I’ve seen that much focus from every single one in this locker room. I really feel like we’re playing for something bigger, and that we are on a mission.”

Gobert and the Jazz certainly look like they’re on a mission. Offensively, they’re the second-best three-point shooting team in the entire league at .397, which is a huge advantage in the modern NBA. On the defensive end, they’ve looked just as good, posting the third-best defensive rating in the League. Additionally, Utah is one of the best rebounding teams as well.

These things are a recipe for success the way that basketball is played today. Gobert tweeted that the Jazz are only getting started, which shows clearly on the court with the amount of effort and hustle this team plays with. While the Los Angeles Lakers are still the favorite out West, the Utah Jazz are looking to change that narrative.

The post Rudy Gobert on Utah’s 10th Straight Win: ‘We Are On A Mission’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Jazz are able to give Mitchell such a long term despite him having one final year on his rookie deal because they intend to make him a designated rookie.

The total value of the deal could rise to as much as $195 million if Mitchell meets certain pre-established criteria thanks to what is informally known as the Rose Rule. If Mitchell qualifies for All-NBA in 2020-21, he’ll the additional $30 million.

Both the $163 million and $195 million figures are based on a projection for the 2020-21 salary cap figure. They aren’t likely to change considering the league has suggested it will use a $112 million cap next season… but this is 2020.

Mitchell wasted no time taking over as the face of the Jazz franchise three years ago and averaged 24.0 points and 4.3 assists per game in 2019-20. The 24-year-old’s arrival in the organization is among the biggest factors in Utah’s ascent into the playoffs.

The post Donovan Mitchell, Jazz Agree to Five-Year Extension appeared first on SLAM.

Many athletes have unapologetically rejected the notion of “sticking to sports” and have been using their platforms to not only speak out on the litany of issues that came attached to the hip of the new decade, but to also inform the world around them.

Blazers guard CJ McCollum is one of many players who has been actively utilizing his platform.

After undergoing surgery to repair a vertebral fracture, McCollum decided to hone in on his journalistic passion by starting his very own show, “ReMaking America.”

The first episode features Sixers forward Tobias Harris and Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. The three are rivals on the court, but they teamed up together to have a sit down with California senator and vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

The first episode of “ReMaking America” discusses a slew of topics ranging from voting, police brutality, education reform, and the importance of investment in underserved communities.

The post CJ McCollum Interviews Kamala Harris on ‘ReMaking America’ appeared first on SLAM.

With the release of his second signature sneaker during the summer of 2020, Donovan Mitchell has continued to utilize his unique platform to bring awareness to a plethora of worldwide issues. We spoke with the Utah Jazz star to discuss his approach to his line with adidas, the design process, what he plans to implement in future editions and much more.

KICKS: You have always used your kicks to bring attention to different social causes. Before the pandemic shut down the NBA, you dedicated custom colorways to raise awareness for autism, the earthquake in Puerto Rico, the Australian bush fires and much more. You even auctioned the sneakers and donated the money to relief efforts. Can you talk about where that philanthropic spirit originates from?

DONOVAN MITCHELL: I think the biggest thing is understanding my role as an NBA athlete. On top of that, having my own shoe, it allows me to do things in a way that I would like. My biggest thing that I love doing the most is giving back to those in need—so being able to bring awareness, to spread awareness, to give back, those are things that I really pride myself on. So, for me, it was just like, OK, how can I go about doing it with my shoe? Because everybody looks down at these dudes on the court [to see] what shoes they are wearing. Spreading awareness—whether it’s gun violence, praying for Australia [due to] the fires, earthquakes in Puerto Rico—I just feel like we as athletes are a form of leaders throughout the country as well. I think any type of messaging is something that I will continue to spread using the voice and platform that I have. I think it also brings a lot of recognition and awareness to what’s needed.  

KICKS: On opening night of the restart in Orlando, you honored Breonna Taylor and others who have lost their lives at the hands of police by wearing a special colorway that had phrases like “Say Their Names” and “Ready For Change.” Tell us a little bit about the process of approaching adidas with this idea.

DM: Having gone to school in Kentucky, in Louisville, it hits close to home. For me, it was just like, OK, how do I find a way to honor her? We’re down here playing but the biggest thing is how we continue to keep her name and everybody’s names on the forefront of people’s minds. What better way to do it than on opening night, in the first game, with the shoes? I feel like they were a big hit. I loved them. I’m blessed that adidas was able to allow me to go express myself and have my back when I went out there with these shoes. Just continuing to find ways—there will be others for sure. But that was just something that was near and dear to my heart. I think there’s justice that needs to be brought that hasn’t come yet and myself and my colleagues who are also in the NBA are going to continue to speak on it until justice is served.

KICKS: You mentioned that there will be others. Do you have other issues in mind that you want to bring awareness to through your shoes?

DM: I think the biggest thing I want to do is I want to be able to create something where there are jobs or positions that can be filled in the company in my design process. Having kids from HBCUs, or having African-Americans, minorities, coming from different schools, to come and help me with my design process. There are a lot of talented African-American men and women out there who I feel can use this as an opportunity to propel themselves into that world. I think it’s something that for the 3s, the 4s and the 5s, that we can definitely work on and explore. It’s something that would be special.

KICKS: We know that you give away most of your on-court shoes after the games—whether at home or on the road. Can you tell us a little bit about that? What has motivated you to do that every night?

DM: I always wanted to be that kid. I always wanted to be the guy who got those. For me it was, How could I make a kid’s day? You never know what a kid may be going through. Seeing a kid wearing your jersey, it’s a different feeling. It’s an honor and a blessing to see that. To give them the same energy that they’re reciprocating to me, I think that’s something I really take pride in and it’s special to me.

KICKS: When you were a kid, was there ever a basketball player—or even a baseball player, since your dad has been with the New York Mets organization for decades—that handed you a pair of kicks or other memorabilia? How did that experience impact your approach to fans after you became a pro?

DM: Growing up around the Mets organization, I saw a lot of guys giving their stuff away. I don’t really have [an experience] myself that I could think of off the top of my head, but I think seeing guys do that and the look on kids’ faces and me always wanting to be that kid, I think that’s where a lot of it came from. Just being able to see it and the reaction, and [thinking], Man, I would love to do that now that I’m in a position to do that. I want to try to make sure that every kid that I possibly can [reach] has that feeling.

KICKS: In June, your SPIDACARES foundation gave away pairs of your signature sneakers to students at a charter high school in Bridgeport, CT. They each got two pairs as a graduation gift. How did that idea come about?

DM: My mom runs that foundation and we talked about it—How could we give shoes away to kids who worked hard and what better way to do it than with a graduation [gift]? Being able to say congratulations but also leave them with the message, like, Look, there’s a lot that can be done. There’s a lot to still be done, but congratulations on your hard work so far. To feel appreciated—that’s the biggest thing. You guys have done a great job. Your parents have done a great job raising you to get you to this point. But this is something to just be like, Look, there’s always a goal to reach, you never know who’s watching and you never know who’s going to be in your corner with you. I told them, I’m going to be there and be one of those people because I’ve seen all the hard work you’ve put in and it shouldn’t stop.

KICKS: Tell us about the D.O.N. 2s. What was your general vision heading into the design process? What were you looking for?

DM: We loved the look. We loved the layout. I think the biggest thing for me was just being more comfortable in my shoe. As the years go on and you get to shoe [number] two, three, four, and hopefully up to 12 or whatever, just understanding more about your foot—what my foot needs and how to maximize my shoe. Not just for myself but for other consumers as well. For me, I was not going to change the price point at all. I think for me the biggest thing was that I wanted everybody to be able to afford my shoe, but the difference is that we’re going to come out with more crazy color schemes. The tech is pretty much the same with the Bounce, but we just changed the design a little bit. Put the logo on the back. The partnership with Crayola. A bunch of different things to make it very exciting and I’m really excited for it to launch because I feel like it’s one of the best shoes and it’s very comfortable, obviously. I’m just very excited.

KICKS: Was there any particular storytelling you wanted to do with the designs of the 2s? Are there any particular parts of the shoes that have a deeper meaning or stories behind them?

DM: At the bottom of my shoe, I have the locations of where I went to school and up to where I am now. So, like, the longitude and the latitude of every place that I’ve been—Brewster [Academy], University of Louisville, now Utah. I think that [journey] really means a lot. My mom’s and sister’s birthdays are at the bottom of my shoe. Very subtle messages but I think ones that are very important to me and how I got to where I am today.

KICKS: Give us a timetable. How long ago did you start the process of thinking about the designs and features for the 2s?

DM: I started on the 2s right after the 1s [dropped]. The design process of the shoes goes much faster than I honestly anticipated. I feel like we [said], This is what we see on the 1s, and the biggest thing is, how can we improve the technology from the 1s and bring them to the 2s? And find ways to just become innovative. Who are we going to partner with? Obviously, Crayola is the big one. You have Spider-Man and Marvel, too. I really started not too long after the first one dropped. We were going through testing. It’s come a long way and I’m very blessed to be in this position. It’s a very fun process. You get as much out of it as you put into it. For me, it’s just trying to find ways to continue to put my time and effort into it because I know the people that are working behind the scenes are working day in and day out to help me. So, to give them the same effort that they give me is huge.

KICKS: Would you say it was easier or more difficult to go through the process for the 2s compared to the 1s? How different was the process this second time? On one hand, you were more familiar with the process going into the 2s. On the other hand, the challenge is making this one better than your last one.

DM: I think it was easier, honestly. The biggest thing was I was already used to it on my foot. We already had the mold. Just being able to give my input and know [more about] what my foot likes and doesn’t like. So I think it was easier to do the 2s because you already had a lot of the technology saved from the 1s to create a better and more improved shoe.

KICKS: Which D.O.N. Issue #2 colorway would you say is your favorite and why?

DM: I would probably say the “Camp” shoe, which is the most [colorful] one. For me, the biggest things are the messages on the inside. There were a lot of messages we got throughout the draft process, throughout my rookie year, of what I could and couldn’t do, and I put a lot of those wordings in there. And that’s what means the most to me just because of a lot of things people say I can’t do. For me, putting that in the shoes was another reminder of what people thought and how I’m here to prove everybody wrong.

KICKS: You’ve partnered with some major companies for your colorways. From Marvel all the way to Crayola, how wild has it been seeing major entities like those wanting to collaborate with your line?

DM: It’s a huge blessing. I never in a million years thought I’d be here but I am. And now the biggest thing is continuing my work on the floor to allow these things to continue to happen. None of this happens without the work on the floor and what I do during the games. So, for me, it’s like, How do I find a way to continue my brand in that way? It’s a huge honor and blessing to be able to work with these companies, but there’s more to do. That’s really where my head is at—continuing to find ways to build myself on the floor and then everything else will take care of itself.

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF KICKS 23

Franklyn Calle is a senior producer at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @FrankieC7.

Photos by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

The post Donovan Mitchell and the D.O.N. Issue #2 Cover KICKS 23 appeared first on SLAM.

Below is a complete account of confirmed cases where specific players have been reported to have tested positive for COVID-19. Additional instances where cases of the illness were reported can be found at the bottom of this post.

NBA Players Positive For Coronavirus

Additional Coronavirus Cases In NBA

Related: NBA players who have opted out of Disney World games

The post List of NBA Players to Test Positive for Coronavirus appeared first on SLAM.

“It is true that we didn’t speak for awhile,” Gobert admitted, but downplayed any potentially negative long-term effects on their relationship.

The big fella says he and Mitchell are focused on moving past this and winning an NBA title.

Per The Salt Lake Tribune:

“It is true that we didn’t speak for awhile, a few days, but we did speak a few days ago and, you know … we’re both ready to go out there and try to win a championship for this team,” he told reporter Taylor Rooks. “It’s all about being a professional. And, you know, everyone’s got different relationships, it’s never perfect — people that are married, it’s never perfect. So me and my teammates, it’s far from perfect. But at the end of the day, we both want the same thing — and it’s winning. We’re both grown men, we’re both gonna do what it takes to win.”

A few minutes before, Gobert had been speaking with comedian Michael Blackson, and first broke the news that he and Mitchell had, in fact, had a conversation: “We spoke, and we’re professionals. It’s all about going out there and trying to win for the team. We did speak. … People like to believe everything they read.”

He just hoped that some good came out of it, that his testing positive first encouraged people to now take it seriously — something he acknowledged he didn’t really do himself until it landed on him.

“All the fans want is for us to go out there and play basketball. … They’ve watched us grow as people, as players. They want us to to be happy with one another, and we will,” Gobert said. “You know, we’re gonna go out there and do what it takes to help this team. And hopefully we can both keep bringing awareness around this and keep doing as much positive as we can. It’s not really about me and Donovan — this little fight is no fight. It’s about thousands of people are dying every day, and it’s all about, ‘What can we do to help? What can we do to bring some positive?’ And at the end of the day, that’s really what my focus is on right now.”

Related Report: Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert’s Relationship Strained

The post ‘No Fight’: Rudy Gobert Downplays Rift With Donovan Mitchell appeared first on SLAM.

Mitchell is reportedly still angry at Gobert’s cavalier attitude over the COVID-19 threat prior to both young All-Stars being diagnosed and eventually recovering from the deadly virus.

Utah’s braintrust is working to repair the damage, though Mitchell is said to be “reluctant.”

Per The Athletic:

The Jazz have already begun working on the Mitchell-Gobert relationship, but sources say Mitchell remains reluctant to fix what might have been broken.

“It doesn’t appear salvageable,” one source with knowledge of the situation said.

There is hope that the relationship will improve over time, and the fact that there could potentially be a lot of time to sort things out could work in Utah’s favor.

“I’m confident our team is going to be totally fine,” [Joe] Ingles said. “I heard Donovan’s response (on GMA), or whatever it was, to that question, and a part of that is on Donovan and Rudy to sort out if he’s frustrated with him or whatever. But I have no doubt when we go back to training, or when our season starts again, our team is going to be what we have been and what we are. … I’m confident our team will be completely fine. The chemistry will be fine.”

Related Donovan Mitchell Took a While to ‘Cool Off’ at Rudy Gobert

The post Report: Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert’s Relationship Strained appeared first on SLAM.

Both All-Stars tested positive for COVID-19, but report they’re feeling well and on the road to recovery.

Mitchell, 23, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that he remains symptom-free for the time being.

Per The Salt Lake Tribune:

“I can walk down the street; if it wasn’t public knowledge that I was sick, you wouldn’t know it,” Mitchell said. “That’s the scariest part about this virus, is that you may seem fine, be fine, and you may never know who you may be talking to, and who they’re going home to.”

When (Robin] Roberts asked Mitchell if he’d had any contact with the Frenchman, the guard was measured in his response, which was as notable for what it did not say as for what it did.

“It took awhile for me to kind of cool off,” Mitchell said.

“I read what he said and I heard what he said. I’m glad he’s doing OK, I’m glad I’m doing well. I’m just happy, to be honest — I hate to say that it’s two of us — but that it wasn’t the whole [Jazz traveling] party. At the end of the day, neither him nor I have children at home — I have some teammates that have children, some staff that have children at home. So I’m glad that we were able to contain it as much as possible.”

Related ‘I Was Careless’: Rudy Gobert on Coronavirus Diagnosis

The post Donovan Mitchell Took a While to ‘Cool Off’ at Rudy Gobert appeared first on SLAM.

The All-Star center, who mockingly touched local reporters’ digital recorders prior to his diagnosis, says he was “careless.”

Gobert’s Utah Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell also tested positive for COVID-19.

The NBA has suspended the season in response to the global pandemic.

Per The AP:

It started as a joke: Before leaving a media session at shootaround in Salt Lake City on Monday in advance of a game against Detroit that night, Gobert touched all the tape recorders that were placed before him on a table, devices that reporters who cover the Jazz were using.

“You know, there’s not much we can do right now,” Gobert said in that session when asked about how teams are dealing with the virus. And a minute or so later, before he ran out a side door, he touched all the recorders.

It is not known if Gobert is responsible for Mitchell contracting the virus, or vice versa.

The NBA shutdown could cost teams well into the hundreds of millions of dollars depending on how long the shutdown lasts. Those teams that have faced Gobert in recent days will likely face some testing. And at least two Jazz beat writers who were tested revealed Thursday that the results came back negative.

Related Rudy Gobert Tests Positive For Coronavirus

The post ‘I Was Careless’: Rudy Gobert on Coronavirus Diagnosis appeared first on SLAM.

While Gobert had been on the team’s injury report prior to the Wednesday night game that was ultimately postponed, Mitchell was not and had been playing consistently for the Jazz before hand.

Jazz players have been quarantined in Oklahoma following the last-minute revelation of Gobert’s positive test results and concern has mounted that the virus has been slowly spreading throughout the league.

In response to the initial Gobert news, the NBA suspended the 2019-20 campaign. Details of exactly what that will happen next have not been revealed.

Ripples effects of Gobert’s illness had already been felt around the league prior to Thursday’s revelation that Mitchell had the virus. Last night’s Kings-Pelicans game was postponed because a referee set to work the game had worked a Jazz game days prior.

Mitchell, 23, is believed to be the only player to have tested positive for the virus following the cancelled Jazz-Thunder game on Wednesday night, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

The Jazz have since echoed Charania’s report with an official statement.

As a follow-up to yesterday’s positive COVID-19 test, Oklahoma health officials tested all members of the Utah Jazz traveling party, confirming one additional positive outcome for a Jazz player.

In addition to concern that other Jazz players may have been impacted, there are a number of NBA squads that have recently made contact with the Jazz who are making their own arrangements in response to the news.

The Toronto Raptors, who played the Jazz on Monday night, have advised their players and staff to self-quarantine for a period of two weeks, the team has revealed.

The post Donovan Mitchell Tests Positive For Coronavirus appeared first on SLAM.

Denver led the entire game, and mostly by double-digits.

Nikola Jokic dropped a game-high 31 points with 10 boards and 10 dimes.

Raptors 113 (22-10), Celtics 97 (22-8)

Toronto successfully countered every Boston run to snap the Celtics’ 5-game win streak.

Kyle Lowry dropped a game-high 30 points with 7 dimes.

Pacers 98 (21-12), Pelicans 120 (10-23)

New Orleans outscored the Pacers by a combined 31 points in the second and third quarters.

Brandon Ingram dropped a team-high 24 points with 7 dimes.

Jrue, Aaron and Justin Holiday became the first trio of brothers to play in the same game.

Hawks 81 (6-27), Bulls 116 (13-20)

Chicago controlled the entire game against the Trae Young-less Hawks.

Zach LaVine dropped 19 points with 7 boards. Lauri Markkanen added a team-high 25 points.

Atlanta has now lost an abysmal 10 straight games.

Cavs 94 (10-22), Wolves 88 (11-20)

Cleveland led for the majority of the game against the Wolves, who were without Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.

Tristan Thompson dropped 12 points with 15 boards. Collin Sexton added a game-high 18 points.

Knicks 107 (9-24), Wizards 100 (9-22)

New York built a few double-digit leads only to see them disappear to the Bradley Beal-less Wizards. But they held on to the lead when it mattered the most during crunch time.

Julius Randle continued his strong play, dropping a game-high 30 points with 16 boards and 6 dimes.

Sixers 116 (23-12), Heat 117 (24-8) (OT)

Miami battled back from a 5-point deficit with 1 minute to play to take the lead on a clutch three-pointer by Tyler Herro. But the Heat fouled Josh Richardson with less than a second left. J-Rich intentionally missed his second free-throw and Ben Simmons got a putback to send the game to OT.

The Heat would hold on to improve to an incredible 6-0 in OT this season.

Jimmy Butler dropped a team-high 25 points with 9 dimes and 9 boards. Herro added 17 points (4-8 3FG) off the bench.

Miami has now won 5 straight.

Nets 98 (16-15), Rockets 108 (22-10)

Brooklyn battled back to take the lead in the fourth quarter after falling down by 18 points in the third. But the Rockets would pull away during the final minutes of the game.

James Harden dropped a game-high 44 points with 10 boards and 6 dimes.

Pistons 109 (12-21), Spurs 136 (13-18)

San Antonio would outscore the Pistons by 17 points in the third quarter and go up by as much as 29 points during the fourth.

LaMarcus Aldridge dropped 25 points (5-6 3FG) with 12 boards. DeMar DeRozan added a game-high 29 points.

Mavs 141 (21-10), Warriors 121 (9-25)

After going off for 30 points in the first half, D’Angelo Russell went down with a scary-looking shoulder injury with 5:20 left in the third quarter—and the Mavericks proceeded to blow open the game.

Luka Doncic dropped a team-high 31 points with 15 dimes and 12 boards as Dallas snapped the Warriors’ 4-game winning streak.

Magic 100 (14-18), Bucks 111 (29-5)

Even with Giannis Antetokounmpo (back) missing his second straight game, Milwaukee jumped out to a 12-point lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back.

Ersan Ilyasova dropped 17 points with 14 boards and 5 dimes. Khris Middleton added a team-high 21 points.

Suns 112 (12-20), Kings 110 (12-20)

Phoenix blew a 14-point third quarter lead but held on to snap an 8-game losing streak.

Devin Booker dropped a game-high 32 points with 10 dimes.

Sacramento has now lost 6 straight.

Lakers 128 (25-7), Blazers 120 (14-19)

The Lakers looked sharp after their Christmas Day loss to the Clippers, snapping their 4-game losing streak.

LeBron James dropped 21 points with 16 dimes and just 1 TO. Kyle Kuzma added a team-high 24 points.

Jazz 120 (20-12), Clippers 107 (23-11)

Utah outscored the Clippers by 12 points during the fourth quarter to pick up a big road win.

Donovan Mitchell dropped a game-high 30 points with 9 dimes and 7 boards.

The post Post Up: Heat Defeat Sixers Behind Tyler Herro’s Clutch Heroics appeared first on SLAM.

Eight Pistons players hit double-digit scoring, led by Christian Wood’s 22 points. Andre Drummond (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Blake Griffin (14 points, 11 rebounds) both contributed double-doubles as well.

Knicks 94 (8-24), Nets 82 (16-12)

Julius Randle scored a game-high 33 points (including a career-high five made 3-pointers) to help win this battle for New York. Spencer Dinwiddie put up 25 points for the Nets.

Grizzlies 110 (12-20), Thunder 97 (15-15)

Memphis’ frontcourt of Jonas Valanciunas (21 points) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (20 points) helped propel the Grizzlies to a road victory. Chris Paul registered 23 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists in the loss.

Spurs 98 (12-18), Mavericks 102 (20-10)

Luka Doncic returned as good as new. Doncic, who missed four games with a sprained right ankle, almost put up a triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 21 points.

Timberwolves 105 (11-19), Kings 104 (12-19)

It took two overtimes, but Minnesota eventually prevailed on the road. Gorgui Dieng led the team with 21 points in 40 minutes. Richaun Holmes scored 20 points for the Kings.

Blazers 115 (14-18), Jazz 121 (19-12)

Utah held its ground down the stretch and kept Portland from ever taking the lead. Donovan Mitchell (35 points) and Joe Ingles (26 points) provided the offensive firepower that the Jazz needed. Damian Lillard finished with 34 points in the loss.

The post Post Up: Luka Doncic Nears Triple-Double in Return to Action appeared first on SLAM.

Malcolm Brogdon finished a tough, go-ahead layup with 36 seconds left to lift the Pacers over the Lakers, snapping LA’s 14-game road winning streak. The Lakers streak will finish as tied for the third longest in NBA history, 2 shy of the all-time record. For the Pacers, Domantas Sabonis recorded his 13th straight double-double, finishing with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Dwight Howard led the Lakers, dropping 20 points on 10-10 from the field. LeBron added 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists in the loss.

Hornets 110 (13-17), Kings 102 (12-15)

The Hornets outscored the Kings 30-23 in the fourth quarter to secure the win in Charlotte. Malik Monk led the way with 23 points and 10 rebounds on 9-12 shooting for the Hornets. De’Aaron Fox returned after missing 17 games with an ankle injury, dropping a team-high 19 points in the loss.

Knicks 143 (7-21), Hawks 120 (6-22)

The Knicks’ 143 points is the most the franchise has scored in regulation in 39 years. New York was led by RJ Barrett, who dropped a career-high 27 points on 10-13 shooting. Mitchell Robinson also finished with a career-high of 22 points (9-13 shooting) to go along with 13 rebounds and 2 blocks. The Knicks’ youth movement is showing out under interim coach Mike Miller, who is now 3-3 since taking over for David Fizdale. Even in the loss, Trae Young went off for 42 points and 7 made threes. Vince Carter added 15 off the bench in his final game in MSG.

Nets 108 (15-12), Pelicans 101 (6-22)

The Nets outscored the Pelicans 15-8 in overtime to pick up the win on the road. Spencer Dinwiddie led the way, finishing with a game-high 31 points. Joe Harris added 24 points, and Jarrett Allen finished with 12 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks for Brooklyn. New Orleans was led by Brandon Ingram, who finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

Jazz 109 (16-11), Magic 102 (12-15)

The Jazz held off a late surge from Orlando to secure the win at home. Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic each dropped 30 points in the win, the first time since 2008 that two Jazz players finished with 30+ points in the same game. Rudy Gobert added 12 points and 19 rebounds in the win. For the Magic, D.J. Augustin scored 14 of his team-high 22 points in the fourth quarter.

Clippers 120 (21-8), Suns 99 (11-16)

Kawhi Leonard (20), Lou Will (24), and Paul George (20) all dropped 20+ points as the Clippers dominated the Suns in LA. For Phoenix, Deandre Ayton returned from his 25-game suspension and led the team with 18 points and 12 boards. Kelly Oubre added 19 points on 8-14 shooting in the loss.

The post Post Up: Pacers Snap Lakers’ Road Win Streak appeared first on SLAM.

Following a breakout rookie campaign, Mitchell began to wonder if he had peaked too soon.

The 23-year-old knows the Utah Jazz’s success largely depends on his development: “I’m ready for us to take that next step.”

Per The Athletic:

“The biggest thing that I was wondering last year: Was I just a one-year hit and out? Was I peaking too soon?” Mitchell told The Athletic. “I came in as a surprise and I had a real high and I never came into a season with an X on my back. Not in high school, not in college. I had never been the guy before. That was one thing for me to learn. I had to understand: PG (Paul George) isn’t just guarding you in the fourth quarter. He’s guarding you the whole game. Klay (Thompson), Kawhi (Leonard), these guys are guarding you the whole game.

“I feel the pressures now more so than my first two years. I understand the game more and the looks that I’m getting. Having the summer I had really helped. Last year, I came in and was hurt to start the year. My body wasn’t in the right place.” (This summer he spent time playing for the National Team in China.)

Mitchell has seen how star players he idolized have behaved standoff-ish in front of teammates and others, and says he made a vow not to be like that.

“It’s about being able to show love,” Michell said. “I’m not too good for anybody. There are times where I’ve seen guys in this league that I even looked up to, that are that and put themselves ahead of people. I wasn’t supposed to be here. So now that I am here, I’m not going to act like I should be this other dude. I’m going to continue to be that guy who has been humble, who’s been a great teammate. I’ve been that way my whole life and I don’t plan on changing.”

Related Donovan Mitchell: ‘The Biggest Thing is to Elevate My Defense’

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So over dinner in Portland, OR, one night, with an audience that included his mother Nicole and several members of the adidas team, Donovan Mitchell told that story. 

He spoke of a childhood filled with adversity, although some of it only became known to him later on. Nicole worked tirelessly to pay bills and keep food on the table, hiding many of the family’s obstacles from her kids. Despite the hardship, she drove Donovan to every AAU tournament and fostered his passion for the game. 

He described a dream that developed early on, but that no one truly believed was attainable. Not even Nicole. At times, not even himself. 

He reminisced on the many people who assured him he couldn’t do this or that or wouldn’t make it as far as he has. And the few instances when, though brief, he thought the same thing.

Overall, however, the 23-year-old Mitchell explained how he overcame the barriers and cynicism, how he persevered to make it to this moment, on the brink of releasing his own signature sneaker.

Rashad Williams, the Senior Director of Footwear for adidas Basketball, listened intently to Donovan’s words. Each chapter of his journey had a similar theme. There was the time Mitchell broke his wrist playing baseball and missed a crucial summer of basketball for recruitment, only to return and start killing everyone on the court and move up the rankings. Or when, amid a difficult freshman season at Louisville, he would break down in his dorm room and even contemplated quitting the sport he loved, only to spend late nights in the gym honing his craft.

All the while, there was the constant chatter about him on social media and the internet, asserting he simply wasn’t good enough to achieve his ultimate goal. 

It was Determination Over Negativity (D.O.N.) that got him to the NBA, never giving up on his dream even when doubt engulfed it. Doubt from everyone.

By the end of that dinner, the group had established a good foundation for Mitchell’s signature. The message would be right in the name. The D.O.N. Issue #1.

“Determination Over Negativity is a belief that anything is possible no matter who you are or where you come from,” said Mitchell, via press release. “I wanted this sneaker to be a symbol of that—for the kid who believes they can do anything.”

Then, of course, there was the design. It was established early on in the process that the sneaker would incorporate Donovan’s nickname: Spida. A former teammate’s dad came up with it when Mitchell was a kid and it caught on. 

“You start to look at his game and how that actually correlates with his nickname,” says Williams. “His style of play, how that correlates with the attributes of a spider.” 

Mitchell’s tremendous wingspan (6-10) allows him to be disruptive in passing lanes and reach for rebounds (sometimes absurd put-backs) among the trees. He glides effortlessly to the basket and soars through the air with ease, as if swinging between buildings like Spider-Man.

Partnering with Marvel, adidas went on to announce four superhero colorways of Mitchell’s sneaker. The main one (“The Amazing Spider-Man”) is red, white and blue and features web stitching on the toe box and tongue. There’s a “Symbiote Spider-Man” colorway (also known as “Venom”), which is pink, black, white and silver with teeth patterns across the midsole. The “Steal Spider-Man” has glow in the dark details and there’s the red and gold “Iron Spider” as well.

Throughout Mitchell’s incredible rise in Utah, which has included a Slam Dunk Contest title, a pair of trips to the playoffs and two-year averages of 22.1 points, 3.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds, the young guard has had Dame 4s and the Pro Bounce 2018 Low on his feet. The Dame 4 helped serve as a base for the D.O.N. Issue #1. 

“The main two areas Donovan wanted to focus on were a nice, soft upper—similar to what he wore in the Dame 4—and then having some great traction, based off his game,” says Williams. “He prides himself on being a two-way player and those are the first two areas we focused on.” 

Mitchell was heavily involved in the design process. Each new idea was brought to him for approval or rejection. Numbers printed along the side reflect his standing and running vertical leaps at the NBA Combine. Additional “coding” hidden on the shoe pinpoints the key locations along Mitchell’s journey, including Brewster Academy, where he finished his high school career.

One of his specific requests was that the toe be soft and pliable to enhance comfort. He also wanted Bounce foam in the midsole, another quality of the Dame 4, to support his athleticism. Other elements were added to ensure the sneaker was compatible to Mitchell’s high-flying style. 

“Donovan is a special type of basketball player who exerts extreme forces on his footwear when moving during a game,” says Jimi Taylor, Senior Footwear Designer for adidas Basketball. “In particular, he generates peak force when he jumps and lands by angling his feet to side propel himself upward. We obsessed over this detail in his game and built a shoe that has a wide stable base for launching and landing with layered reinforcement in the forefoot to provide lateral stability without limiting movement.”

“The shoe really focuses on Don’s style of play,” Williams adds. “He starts and stops very hard and explodes at a tremendous force.” 

As Donovan has quickly assumed a go-to role on the Jazz, a team with its sights set on a deep postseason run, the dynamics of the silhouette had to change. According to Taylor, it was built for the long haul.

“One of the things that struck us immediately in the design team was the amount of work that Donovan was doing for his team so early in his career,” he says. “With the major minutes and responsibility he was carrying, we worked to create a shoe that was as comfortable as possible, to allow Donovan to push as hard as possible all season long and into the playoffs. We did this by creating a really comfortable tongue and collar with focused zones of extra padding. We also gave him a really plush Bounce tooling that would help absorb the beating his legs were taking but without sacrificing his natural feel for the court.”

Beyond its performance and functionality, it was important to Mitchell that the sneaker be accessible. He made that very clear to Rashad, Jimi and the rest of the team working on it. It needed to be affordable.

Growing up, Mitchell often lacked the money to buy the pairs he desperately coveted. That stuck with him over the years. With a retail price of $100, far cheaper than most options on the market, the D.O.N. Issue #1 will hopefully not present that problem.

When he stops to consider where he’s at now, how far he’s come and what he’s managed to accomplish, Mitchell is still taken aback. He’s played merely two seasons in the NBA and already made a big enough splash to warrant a signature sneaker. On most nights, he takes the floor with the same guys he idolized, people he used to watch on TV and read about in magazines.

The experience of creating something for individuals who now look up to him was surreal for Mitchell. 

“He constantly says he can’t believe it,” Williams explains, when asked about Donovan’s reaction to the sneaker. “He’s very excited, that’s one thing I love about Don. Anytime I’m with him, he gives off a tremendous amount of energy. And you feel that energy and you feel that authenticity. Him having a signature shoe—anytime you hear him talk about it or you see him with it, that authenticity, that excitement, is always there.

“The hope is to inspire the next generation—men, women, boys and girls,” he continues. “Don would tell you that if you have a dream, you should chase after it. That’s really where [the sneaker] came from. He really just wants to inspire the next generation.”

—

GRAB YOUR COPY OF KICKS 22

Alex Squadron is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @asquad510.

Photos via adidas and Getty Images.

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Mitchell and the rest of the USA squad are in China with a 2-0 record in Group E of the FIBA World Cup. Earlier this morning, Team USA defeated Turkey in a nail-biter against Turkey. Mitchell, who’s been one of the US’s top players since training camp, is looking to bring a gold medal back to the States in a couple of weeks.

Check out some highlights between USA and Spain from last month.

The post Is Donovan Mitchell the Most ATHLETIC Guard on Team USA? FIBA Highlights 🕷 appeared first on SLAM.

“The biggest thing is just to get back to my roots,” says the 22-year-old, who adds that defense is what got him drafted into the NBA.

Mitchell credits San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich with making him take extra pride in locking up opponents as a member of Team USA this summer.

Per The Salt Lake Tribune:

“For me, the biggest thing is just to get back to my roots. The biggest thing is to elevate my defense, to get back to what got me drafted,” Mitchell told The Salt Lake Tribune after defeating Canada in the USA’s final pre-World Cup exhibition game. “I think that’s one thing I’ve prided myself on, and I think (USA head coach Gregg Popovich) has really put that in my head as well.”

Mitchell says that’s “something I want to really take on” in the Jazz’s upcoming season.

“Whether it’s vocally, off the floor in the hotel room with the guys, or on the floor, I’m just trying to find ways to become a leader,” Mitchell said. “Being a captain of the team, it allows me to try to improve my leadership skills. It’s a big year coming up, and I think those will be really evident in this upcoming year.”

And the Jazz’s big additions this year, in the form of Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic, will only help Mitchell’s life on the offensive end, opening him up to 100% effort on defense, too. “I’m excited. The biggest thing is spacing on the floor, guys who can create and knock shots down. Bogey, who shoots damn near 40%, Mike can get into the paint, hits about 36% from 3, that opens up a lot,” Mitchell said. “And being able to play off each other, that’s something that will be really huge for me.”

Related Donovan Mitchell: ‘I Got Drafted Because of My Defense’

The post Donovan Mitchell: ‘The Biggest Thing is to Elevate My Defense’ appeared first on SLAM.

Kemba Walker, Donovan Mitchell and Marcus Smart have been named co-captains of Team USA ahead of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, an Associated Press report states.

The decision was revealed on Thursday morning ahead of the team’s exhibition game against Australia.

Walker and Mitchell, the team’s biggest names after a myriad of NBA stars withdrew from the international competition, will share the responsibility with famously gritty Celtics guard Smart, providing a combination of experience, star power and intangibles that should serve the country well.

Walker, 29, will do his part to guide Team USA through the September tournament at the tail end of his first offseason with a new club. In July, Walker signed a four-year contract with Smart’s Celtics.

Mitchell, the 23-year-old Utah Jazz wing, is two months away from his third NBA season after establishing himself as one of the league’s top stars while Smart, 25, braces for a sixth season with the only franchise he’s ever known.

The post Kemba Walker, Donovan Mitchell And Marcus Smart Named Leaders Of Team USA appeared first on SLAM.

Mitchell, 22, is determined “to improve defensively” this summer under the watchful eye of Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich.

The Utah Jazz, as one might imagine, are excited to see the leap Spida makes heading into his third season.

Per The NY Times:

“I hope so,” Jazz Coach Quin Snyder said in a telephone interview. “Both Donovan and I have been excited for this opportunity, not just the chance to compete for his country but to play for Pop. I think he has an appreciation for the fact that he’s playing for the greatest coach that’s ever coached.”

Perhaps illustrating the Popovich influence already, Mitchell announced this week that his primary individual aim with the national team is “to improve defensively.”

“That’s one thing I really want to take pride in, because that’s what got me drafted,” Mitchell said. “People see me scoring now, but I got drafted because of my defense.”

Asked about the array of All-Stars who reneged on commitments to play in China, Mitchell said: “I’m 22. I’m younger. So it’s different for me than other guys.”

Asked if he was truly prepared, at that tender age, to join [Kemba] Walker as a tone-setter for a team that is expected to win every game it plays — no matter who is on the roster — Mitchell said: “I don’t think it’s pressure. That’s what makes this all the more special.”

Related Donovan Mitchell: Big NBA Markets ‘Kind of Overrated’

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Led by the strong guard play of Mitchell and Kemba Walker, Team USA defeated Team Baloncesto, 90-81 (full highlights above).

RELATED: Draymond Green & DeMar DeRozan Pop Out at USA Practice!?

The post Donovan Mitchell vs Ricky Rubio!? 👀 USA vs Spain Full Highlights appeared first on SLAM.

Wednesday’s scrimmage got heated! Peep the full highlights in the video above.

RELATED: Trae Young Pulls Up to USA FIBA Practice!? Day 2 Highlights

The post Donovan Mitchell Grabs HUGE Dunk!? 🕷 USA Practice Gets HEATED appeared first on SLAM.

“I think it’s kind of overrated at times,” Mitchell says.

Mitchell adds that the Utah Jazz need to fix “one or two things” but have the pieces to contend.

Per The Athletic:

You’ve been a part of the young core they have with you and Rudy Gobert. When you look at the core you guys have and you see teams like Houston have a core and they may shake things up, do you feel like at a certain point you guys want to try to get to that next level or feel extra pressure because the same thing can happen in Utah?

Mitchell: “Yeah. Most definitely. I think you look at how we played in last year’s playoffs and this year’s playoffs for maybe two or three games we didn’t shoot the ball well. We generated a lot of open shots. If we make the playoffs and make that next push, whether it’s getting another piece or it’s the same team, we can continue to make that push and put pressure on a lot of teams. It was unfortunate we had five games of bad shooting. That happens. It just happened at the wrong time. I don’t think we’re out here just trying to flip the script and bring everybody new. I think it’s just fixing one or two things and then going from there.”

Everybody wants to win a title one day. Do you think there is a path to that in Utah considering the market and how it compares to bigger markets?

Mitchell: “I don’t think you have to have a big market to win a championship. I think it’s all about what your team brings. You look at Milwaukee. They’re not a big market per se. Oklahoma City competed for many years and is still competing. Portland is the same way. I don’t think you really need a big market in order to be competitive. To be honest, I think it’s kind of overrated at times. I think the things that are precious to small market teams I think that’s what’s special and creates that culture, especially that we have in the locker room. Like I said, it takes one or two more pieces to get there. I think that’ll be a big thing for us going on in the future, but we’re not settling on just making the playoffs now. Obviously, last year (2017-18 season) we didn’t expect to be in that spot losing Gordon (Hayward) and changing everything around and what I did. It really changed everything, so now, we have a different expectation of what we want to do, but I don’t think you have to leave to get that.”

Related Donovan Mitchell: ‘This year, It’s Different’

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Mitchell’s performance ensured the Jazz would not be swept, forcing a Game 5 on Wednesday.

James Harden had 30 points and Chris Paul added 18 points and 11 assists for Houston in the loss.

Per The AP:

“My teammates have had my back with every mistake, everything I’ve done well,” Mitchell said. “When you have that support system in the locker room every day, it makes it easier when you start the game with two straight turnovers.”

Jae Crowder scored 23 points. Ricky Rubio chipped in 18 points and 11 assists and Derrick Favors finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

“Of course, we wanted to end it tonight,” Harden said. “We had plenty of opportunities. They made some plays in that fourth quarter and we didn’t.”

Mitchell scored 13 points in three minutes to fuel the run after totaling just 12 points in the first three quarters. He capped off the surge with back-to-back 3-pointers, giving the Jazz a 91-80 lead with 9:02 remaining.

“We’ve had our backs against the wall plenty of times the past two years we’ve been together as a team,” Mitchell said. “This is familiar ground with us. Everybody responded the way we expect them to, but the biggest thing for us is take what we did today and multiply it.”

The post Donovan Mitchell Drops 31 on Houston to Avoid Sweep appeared first on SLAM.

Giannis Antetokounmpo ended Milwaukee’s first-round series against Detroit with an exclamation point, scoring 41 points as the Bucks completed their sweep of the 8-seed Pistons. Antetokounmpo added nine rebounds and four blocks.

A hobbled Blake Griffin left his all on the court, managing 22 points as the Pistons’ season ended.

The win marks Milwaukee’s first playoff series win since 2001, when they fielded a squad with Ray Allen and Sam Cassell.

Rockets 91, Jazz 107 (Houston leads 3-1)

A fiery Utah team fought off elimination in Game 4, keeping their playoff hopes alive. Donovan Mitchell led the team with 31 points and seven rebounds, but it was the spark provided by Jae Crowder (23 points) that gave the Jazz an extra punch. James Harden scored 30 points in the loss.

The post Post Up: Giannis Scores 41 Points, Bucks Win First Playoff Series Since 2001 appeared first on SLAM.

Doncic is “playing better, his team’s winning more games,” according to Simmons.

Last season’s ROY says Trae Young is “killin’ it”—much like Donovan Mitchelldid—but that Luka (21.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists) has simply been better.

Related Luka Doncic ‘Just Not Interested’ in Rookie of the Year Debate

The post ‘Luka. For Sure’: Ben Simmons Makes Rookie of the Year Pick appeared first on SLAM.

Young’s late-season surge has added some drama to the race with Luka Doncic for the award.

The 20-year-old is averaging 25.3 points, 8.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds on 40 percent shooting from three-point land since the All-Star break.

Per The Deseret News:

“I talk about that all the time. I said, ‘Bro, you’re not going to get it.’ He’s playing on a tear, but I tell him, he deserves it if you look at what he’s done but sometimes that’s just the way it is,” Mitchell said of Young. “He’s playing outstanding, him and John Collins. I went to the game where he had 20 and 20 at Oklahoma so I’ve seen it.

“It takes a few to kind of get adjusted to it but he’s had a helluva season,” he added. “My vote would be for him for sure but it’s gonna be tough because Luka is still doing his thing, but Trae is having a helluva second half.”

Like Mitchell, Young got off to a slow start before finding his groove after All-Star break where he’s since averaged 25.3 points, 8.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds on 40 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Doncic has played more of a Simmons role with all-around statistics of 21.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.

“I feel like Trae is definitely catching fire at the right time which is perfect timing,” Collins said. “It’s really exciting for me to be a part of something like that and to be grouped together with some of the next best young guys in the NBA, the best league in the world.”

Related Trae Young Was ‘Thinking’ Too Much During Early-Season Struggles

The post ‘My Vote Would Be for Him’: Donovan Mitchell Says Trae Young is the Rookie of the Year appeared first on SLAM.

So, the 22-year-old spent his summer picking the brains of the League’s best and brightest.

Having turned their season around following a poor start, Mitchell and the Utah Jazz are primed for the playoffs.

Per Sports Illustrated:

“This year, it’s different. I have to be locked in for every moment, they make it so tough on every possession,” Mitchell told The Crossover. “But the words I’ve received from James [Harden], from Kobe [Bryant], Chris Paul, it’s helped me understand that. I think in my rookie year, I was really taken aback. This year I came seeking advice.”

Utah’s offense sagged with Mitchell’s inefficiency, and Ricky Rubio took a step back as well. The Jazz closed 2018 with a losing record, sitting 11th in the West at 18–19.

“Coach [Quin] Snyder stressed to me that this year was going to be a lot different, and it was one thing for me to hear, and another thing for me to go through it,” Mitchell said regarding Utah’s poor start. “It’s one of those things you really have to go through, to experience. They kind of anticipated this happening, I didn’t. But to have the support of my teammates through the early part of the season was really special, and really helped get us back to where we need to be.”

Mitchell is preparing for the next decade in Utah, growing a contender from the ground up into the 2020s. With the help of some household names, Mitchell says he’s now ready to go from rookie sensation to bankable star.

“It’s been a crazy past two years, trying to absorb everything I’ve learned,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got a healthy lineup, and one that can be pretty special. Now we’ve got to prove it each and every night.”

Related Donovan Mitchell Says He’s Facing Tougher Defense in Year 2

The post Donovan Mitchell: ‘This year, It’s Different’ appeared first on SLAM.

According to Westbrook, a man and his wife made racial comments that triggered him to respond, “I’ll f**k you up. You and your wife,” to the couple.

Westbrook was fined $25,000 by the League for the incident, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Donovan Mitchell, in a post on his Twitter account, spoke on the incident between a Jazz fan and Russell Westbrook last night in Utah.

Mitchell said that the incident “hit close to home” and will work with his foundation, SPIDACARES, this offseason to “look at race issues across the country to see what I can do to help combat against racial inequality.”

RELATED “I’ll F**k You Up: Russell Westbrook Warns Jazz Fan and His Wife

The post Jazz Permanently Ban Fan After ‘Inappropriate Interaction’ with Russell Westbrook appeared first on SLAM.

Detroit built a 19-point lead after the first quarter and steadily grew it to 33 at halftime. Things didn’t get much better in the second half for the Cavs, who trailed by as much as 39 points.

Andre Drummond had 13 points, 10 boards and a +26 plus/minus. Blake Griffin had 14 points, 9 dimes and 7 boards.

Magic 117 (30-34), Pacers 112 (41-23)

Orlando outscored the Pacers by 9 in the fourth quarter to get their first win in Indy since 2016.

Nikola Vucevic finished with a game-high 27 points and 8 boards. Terrence Ross, aka the Human Torch, caught fire late, scoring 16 of his 23 in the fourth quarter.

Nets 88 (32-33), Heat 117 (28-34)

The Heat lead was at 10 by halftime, and Miami continued to burry the Nets in the second half—going up by as much as 31 points during the fourth.

Kelly Olynyk dropped a game-high 25 points with 6 boards, 4 dimes and a +27 plus/minus.

Warriors 120 (43-19), Sixers 117 (40-22)

After losing to the Heat and Magic earlier this week, the Warriors bounced back with a nice win against Philly, who were without Joel Embiid.

Kevin Durant dropped a game-high 34 points with 5 boards and 5 dimes.

Grizzlies 111 (25-39), Mavs 81 (27-35)

It just wasn’t the Mavericks’ night. Dallas shot 30.6 percent (17.5 percent from three) en route to getting blown out at home.

Jonas Valanciunas scored a team-high 20 points with 10 boards, 4 dimes and a +21 plus/minus.

Thunder 102 (38-24), Spurs 116 (35-29)

Oklahoma City did not look right without Paul George (sore right shoulder), who was sitting out for the second straight game.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored a game-high 27 points with 10 boards. Rudy Gay had 22 points, 8 boards and one massive poster while coming off the bench.

Pelicans 120 (28-36), Nuggets 112 (42-19)

Denver had a 19-point lead in the second quarter, but blew it all by the middle of the third.

Jrue Holiday scored a game-high 29 points with 5 assists, 3 steals and a +15 plus/minus. Julius Randle added 28 points, 10 boards and 4 assists.

Lakers 109 (30-32), Suns 118 (12-51)

The Lakers fell behind by 19 points in the fourth quarter and couldn’t battle back by the end of regulation.

DeAndre Ayton finished with a team-high 26 points (on 11 shots) with 10 boards.

Bucks 111 (48-14), Jazz 115 (35-26)

Utah rallied back from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the NBA-leading Bucks.

Donovan Mitchell snapped for a career-high 46 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter. Derrick Favors played like a man possessed, dropping 23 points (on 10-12 shooting) with 18 boards and a +29 plus/minus.

—

Ryne Nelson is a Senior Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @slaman10.

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Team World’s Luka Doncic and Ben Simmons will face Team USA’s Donovan Mitchell and De’Aaron Fox. Dirk Nowitzki (World) and Kyrie Irving (USA) will serve as the honorary coaches for the game.

Be sure to check out the full rosters below.

The 2019 Rising Stars teams have been announced.

Thoughts on Team USA and Team World? pic.twitter.com/tc7Tir0614

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 30, 2019

TEAM USA

Donovan Mitchell, Jazz
Jayson Tatum, Celtics
De’Aaron Fox, Kings
Trae Young, Hawks
Jaren Jackson Jr, Grizzlies
Lonzo Ball, Lakers
Kyle Kuzma, Lakers
Jarrett Allen, Nets
Marvin Bagley III, Kings
John Collins, Hawks

TEAM WORLD

Luka Doncic, Mavs
Ben Simmons, Sixers
DeAndre Ayton, Suns
Lauri Markkanen, Bulls
OG Anunoby, Raptors
Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kings
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Clippers
Rodions Kurucs, Nets
Josh Okogie, Wolves
Cedi Osman, Cavs

The post Luka Doncic, Ben Simmons Headline 2019 Rising Stars Rosters 🌟 appeared first on SLAM.

Mitchell, 22, is instead focused on ensuring the Utah Jazz make a push heading into the playoffs.

Utah Jazz's Donovan Mitchell won’t defend NBA Slam Dunk title in Charlotte. “Right now, my mind is really on helping my team make a deep run second half of the season. I’m excited though for the weekend,” he said. https://t.co/aKBxaIIvpl pic.twitter.com/AiB4TOmx4f

— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) January 18, 2019

Mitchell says the decision was a “tough” one.

Per the Deseret News:

“I loved doing the dunk contest last year and it was a ton of fun, but I also know it takes a lot of focus, practice and preparation,” Mitchell told the Deseret News. “Right now, my mind is really on helping my team make a deep run (in the) second half of the season. I’m excited though for the weekend, I’m going to be able to be a part of some great events.”

The former Louisville star called the decision “tough” to not defend his Slam Dunk title in Charlotte, because it is his favorite event of the All-Star Weekend, but said he was really tired after last year and struggled to catch up on rest. He won’t rule out a return down the line, though.

“Definitely. I would love to do it again for sure,” Mitchell said. “I think now especially with everything that happened this past season, I think for me I just wanted to experience an All-Star without doing it to see how it feels and kind of compare the two. It’s all a learning experience for me.”

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Simmons earned 90 first-place votes, easily beating out Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell for the award.

Asked Ben Simmons about last year's ROY race between himself and Donovan Mitchell, and while he expressed his respect for the Jazz star, he said the "race" was nonexistent: "It wasn't a [expletive] race. … Did you see the votes? So what's the question?" https://t.co/db6FemIbGL

— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) December 28, 2018

Simmons silenced hecklers in Utah with a triple-double Thursday night, as the Philadelphia Sixers rolled to a 114-97 win.

“I got a triple-double,” he yelled [at some fans along the baseline, per the AP.]

“I love being able to come into an arena and hear boos and chants and see signs and then win by 20. There’s nothing better than that,” Simmons said.

Per the Salt Lake Tribune:

For those who didn’t see the votes, of 101 ballots cast, Simmons got 90 firsts, 10 seconds and one third, while Mitchell got 11 firsts, 89 seconds, and one third. Simmons prevailed 481 points to 323.

“It wasn’t a [expletive] race,” Simmons said. “You saw the votes, right? … Did you see the votes? So what’s the question?”

He also made it clear that his annoyance was not personally directed at Mitchell, but at still getting questions about it because some people won’t let it go.

“He’s a great player, he’s a great player,” Simmons said. “He can score the ball really well, he’s getting better finding his guys. He’s learning. He’s a great player.”

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The two exchanged jerseys following Sunday’s game in Miami, a 102-100 Heat win over the Utah Jazz.

Donovan Mitchell called the battle with Dwyane Wade surreal and said he hit him up in advance to make sure he could snag the jersey from him. “He’s an all-time great,” Mitchell said. pic.twitter.com/z2NYGhTzzB

— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) December 3, 2018

“I wish I was that good that young,” Wade said of Mitchell.

.@DwyaneWade gave props to @spidadmitchell after their jersey swap pic.twitter.com/kgg8CuozER

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 3, 2018

Per the Deseret News:

“To be honest with you, that was surreal,” Mitchell said of Wade. “You aren’t really thinking about it in the game, but you look back at it as one of those things where the guy is your idol.

“I talked to him many times this summer about his career and habits on and off the floor, whatever it may be,” he added. “That was a pretty special moment.”

One of those conversations lasted two hours, which Wade said never happens nowadays, where Mitchell picked his brain about everything under the sun. With Mitchell often drawing comparisons to Wade, with the same physical build and ability to attack the basket, he wanted to take pointers from the man himself ahead of his 16th and final season.

“Outside of probably my better friends in the league, Victor Oladipo and Donovan Mitchell are two of the guys I talk to the most,” Wade said. “They’re just guys who are similar in how our games structure and guys who really want it and want to be great.

“We was on the phone for two hours,” he continued. “I don’t talk to nobody for two hours no more, but he wanted to pick my brain, he had a lot of great questions and we just talked about the game. We talked about my first year to my second year, how did I make the jump, and he had a lot of great questions.”

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Mitchell finished with 38 points and seven assists, leading the visiting Utah Jazz past the Houston Rockets 100-89.

“I was in my head,” Donovan Mitchell said, admitting he was pressing during slow start to the season. Dinner and extra film with teammates Royce O’Neale and Ekpe Udoh helped him relax and focus on his reads. Result: 38 points, 7 assists in W over Rockets. https://t.co/q1UCbN7blv

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) October 25, 2018

The second-year star shot 34.4 percent and had more turnovers (10) than assists (nine) in Utah’s first three games.

Per ESPN:

“I was in my head,” Mitchell told ESPN after busting out of his slump with a 38-point, seven-assist performance in Wednesday’s 100-89 win over the Houston Rockets. “I didn’t get much sleep.”

He went to dinner and watched extra film Tuesday night with Utah reserves Royce O’Neale and Ekpe Udoh, two of his best friends on the Jazz, who echoed the message of the coaches and other teammates to relax and focus on making the right reads.

“The past few games, I’d been struggling because I’d been kind of pressing the issue,” Mitchell said. “I came into [Wednesday’s game] with the mindset of just finding the open guy. That was really my biggest thing. Last year in the playoffs, there were games where I got too deep or too whatever, just kind of not making the right plays. To me, just being able to make the right reads early just allowed me to settle down and relax a little bit.

“I always put pressure on myself, whether it was last year at the beginning of the year or whatever, just to be perfect. Obviously, that’s impossible.”

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The Utah Jazz guard says opposing teams are being much more physical with him.

Kevin Durant feels Donovan Mitchell faces more pressure in Year 2 than most NBA rising stars. “He’s one of those guys that’s built for it. He’s from New York,” KD said. Durant didn’t make the playoffs until his third season, while Donovan did as a rookie. https://t.co/x7Vssp5MMW

— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) October 21, 2018

The 22-year-old finished with 19 points on 7-for-23 shooting Friday night in a 124-123 last-second loss to the visiting Golden State Warriors.

Per the Deseret News:

“Yeah, 100 percent,” Mitchell said. “More physical, they’re taking away my easy looks, and now I’ve just got to be able to hit tougher shots. That’s all it is.”

After blowing up out of nowhere as a rookie, Mitchell is now facing the pressure of being a franchise star. He’s now high on the scouting report and will have to find a way to adjust. Although Warriors All-Star Kevin Durant won Rookie of the Year in 2008, he didn’t have the same expectations for his sophomore year when the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder.

“See, it’s different now because all it takes is one game and people will hype you up. I think for Donovan, he played last season as if he were a veteran, but he’s still learning along the way,” Durant told the Deseret News. “I think so many people put so many high expectations on these guys after a good season or a good stretch, but I think he’s on that path of being a star. He might not be a MVP candidate this year or an All-Star, but who knows, he might be? I’m just saying he might not have those accolades his second year in the league, but I think as you keep letting him develop and grow, you’re going to get there.”

The post Donovan Mitchell Says He’s Facing Tougher Defense in Year 2 appeared first on SLAM.

Check out the video above to see all their answers!

The post NBA Players Talk Burner Accounts, Trash Talk and Throwing #ThemHands 😂 appeared first on SLAM.

But if James improbably wants to relocate to Utah this summer, Mitchell would welcome him with open arms.

NBA slamdunk champion Donovan Mitchell may just be part of a potential Utah Jazz "Big 3." #Sports https://t.co/GvQ5EDXsMH

— Rappler Sports (@RapplerSports) June 17, 2018

The 21-year-old is on a promotional tour in the Philippines with adidas.

Per Rappler:

Donovan, though, had a way simpler response on whether he also wants to bring LeBron James on board with the Jazz.

“Would I want to [play with him]? Who wouldn’t?” he said.

But he also made it clear that the challenge of facing against the 4-time MVP feels better than playing with him.

“If I had a choice on playing [with] him or beating him, I’d rather beat him,” said the reigning NBA Slam Dunk champion. “But if he wants to play with the Jazz, then we’ll take him of course.”

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While at the adidas Store in Taguig, Philippines on Sunday, Mitchell made a pitch to the five-time All-Star.

“I think a guy like [George]—and I single him out specifically—would thrive in our organization,” Mitchell said (via CNN Philippines).

https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines/status/1008605834509598720

“We want to win, we’re not selfish. I’m not the type of guy who’s kind of like, Oh, it’s my team. I’m a rookie, a second-year player. He’s an All-Star.

“If he comes in, it’s gonna make our life easier in the offensive end. He’s a great defender.

“We have guys who want to play with him. We went though a tough first series because of him.

“We have guys that understand what it takes. If we don’t score 30, it’s not the end of the world to us.

“So I think a guy like him—and I single him out specifically—would thrive in our organization.”

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“I was the lead recruiter at Louisville. I think I signed four or five guys before I left. I think I can recruit some guys. Coach (Rick Pitino) and coach Kenny Johnson taught me some things.

[Paul George] is due. I think it’s July 1. I’m definitely going to have that conversation.

Why not play with us? You look at how we move the ball. We play with guys who don’t care who scores the most, who rebounds the most…We play with guys who genuinely want to win…You can only imagine what we’d be able to do if we had that one big piece. It would be great.”

The post Donovan Mitchell Plans To Recruit Paul George in Free Agency appeared first on SLAM.

• MVP: James Harden
• People’s Champ (Best Use of Platform): LeBron James
• Most Respected: Vince Carter
• Best Side Hustle (Best Off-Court Endeavors): Russell Westbrook
• Mr. Clutch: Damian Lillard
• Sneaker Champ: PJ Tucker
• Leader of the New School (Best Rookie): Donovan Mitchell
• Locksmith (Best Defender): Rudy Gobert
• Freshest (Fit King): Russell Westbrook
• Toughest to Guard: James Harden
• X-Factor (Best Off The Bench): Lou Williams

Each team had a player voted as its “backbone,” with the results below.

• Atlanta Hawks: Kent Bazemore
• Boston Celtics: Marcus Smart
• Brooklyn Nets: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
• Charlotte Hornets: Kemba Walker
• Chicago Bulls: Bobby Portis
• Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James
• Dallas Mavericks: Wesley Matthews
• Denver Nuggets: Richard Jefferson
• Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond
• Golden State Warriors: Draymond Green
• Houston Rockets: PJ Tucker
• Indiana Pacers: Victor Oladipo
• Los Angeles Clippers: DeAndre Jordan
• Los Angeles Lakers: Julius Randle
• Memphis Grizzlies: Marc Gasol
• Miami Heat: Udonis Haslem
• Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Minnesota Timberwolves: Taj Gibson
• New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis
• New York Knicks: Enes Kanter
• Oklahoma City Thunder: Nick Collison
• Orlando Magic: Marreese Speights
• Philadelphia 76ers: TJ McConnell
• Phoenix Suns: Alan Williams
• Portland Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard
• Sacramento Kings: Vince Carter
• San Antonio Spurs: LaMarcus Aldridge
• Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry
• Utah Jazz: Jae Crowder
• Washington Wizards: John Wall

The post James Harden Wins MVP, Donovan Mitchell Takes Rookie of the Year in NBPA Awards 🏆 appeared first on SLAM.

Celtics wing Jayson Tatum would have been unanimous First-Team, if not for one Second-Team vote.

A panel of 100 media members voted for the 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie Teams, with a First Team vote counting for 2 points, and a Second Team vote counting for 1 point.

Check out the full results below:

2017-18 NBA All-Rookie Team Voting Results

First Team: Kyle Kuzma (193), Lauri Markkanen (173), Donovan Mitchell (200), Ben Simmons (200), Jayson Tatum (199)

Second Team: Lonzo Ball (87), Bogdan Bogdanovic (75), John Collins (76), Josh Jackson (45), Dennis Smith Jr (96)

Other rookies receiving votes: Bam Adebayo (44); De’Aaron Fox (34); OG Anunoby (25); Jarrett Allen (18); Dillon Brooks (14); Jordan Bell (5); Royce O’Neale (4); Zach Collins (3); Milos Teodosic (3); Luke Kennard (1); Frank Mason III (1); Malik Monk (1); Frank Ntilikina (1); Semi Ojeleye (1); Sindarius Thornwell (1)

The 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie First Team! @spidadmitchell @BenSimmons25 @jaytatum0 @kylekuzma @MarkkanenLauri pic.twitter.com/9Sk3KGHlOI

— NBA (@NBA) May 22, 2018

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The rookie’s incredible season came to an end on Tuesday, with the Jazz being eliminated from the playoffs by the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Semis.

During his exit interview Wednesday, Mitchell talked about what sort of preparation he’ll be doing over the summer, which apparently includes re-watching all 91 games he played in, via Salt Lake Tribune Sports:

Donovan Mitchell said he plans to re-watch all 97 games from his rookie year before coming back in September for training camp. pic.twitter.com/ihtNKS7DJ7

— Salt Lake Tribune Sports (@sltribsports) May 9, 2018

“This isn’t a victory lap summer. It’s been a great year, but in my head, there’s a lot more to work on.”

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) May 9, 2018

Mitchell averaged an impressive 20.5 points, 3.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.

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It’s pretty nice when James Harden can have an off night (18 points on 7-of-22 shooting) and be picked up by another future Hall-of-Famer. Chris Paul (41 points on 8-of-10 three-point shooting, 7 rebounds, 10 assists) finally reached his first conference finals, and did so in dominating fashion. The Rockets controlled the first half, even without playing their best, but slipped early in the second as Donovan Mitchell (24 points, 9 assists) outscored Houston 22-21 in the frame to give Utah the lead.

Mitchell, a resurgent Alec Burks (22 points, 5 assists) and Royce O’Neale (17 points) helped the Jazz give the Rockets a real challenge late. Still, CP3 was just too good, picking up Harden by scoring 13 straight points to finish this one off. Mitchell wasn’t even on the floor toward the end of regulation, leaving with left foot soreness. He went straight to the locker room and then sat on the bench as time expired.

Game recognize game. (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/72bCePe3Uy

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) May 9, 2018

While this performance shouldn’t quiet all of CP3’s critics that note his struggles in recent playoffs, it pushes him a lot closer to shutting them down for good. He was incredible throughout but especially in the fourth quarter, making jumper after jumper, both open and contested. If he can play like that whenever Harden is struggling — it should be noted that CP3 said in a postgame interview that Harden was a little under the weather — this Houston team is near unstoppable.

This game also ends what turned into an incredibly surprising season for the Jazz, who responded to losing a franchise player in Gordon Hayward by winning 48 regular season games and a playoff series. They advanced past the first round just once with Hayward — last season — and were swept by the Warriors. The future is bright in Salt Lake City.

Warriors 113, Pelicans 104 (Warriors win 4-1)

Gotta give the Pelicans a ton of credit for weathering the initial storm from the Warriors and the secondary surge in the third quarter only to fight back in the fourth and make it a game down the stretch. Anthony Davis (34 points, 19 rebounds) and Jrue Holiday (27 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) had monster games to try and keep New Orleans alive but it just wasn’t enough to top a Dubs team starting to click on all cylinders with a healthy Steph Curry (28 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists).

The Pelicans ended the first half well, cutting the Golden State lead to 59-56. Then, the Warriors went on one of those Warriors runs, nearly doubling up New Orleans in the third quarter. It felt like Golden State would cruise to the finish line, but the Pelicans kept hanging around and found themselves down just seven with two minutes left to play. Draymond Green (19 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists) responded with an 18-footer, though, squashing the run and sealing the win.

15-2 run to start the 3rd for the Dubs. Starting to pull away a little… (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/RnOgMgYber

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) May 9, 2018

Kevin Durant (24 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists) and Klay Thompson (23 points) played well too, but it was Steph that pushed the Warriors over the edge. With both Houston and Golden State entering the Western Conference Finals off pretty impressive series wins, it looks like we could be set up for a legendary battle.

The post Post Up: Rockets And Warriors Advance, Set Up Awesome Western Conference Finals appeared first on SLAM.

The rookie was captured on video muttering, “If that’s what he needs to win f–king MVP, f–k it.” It was a reference to Harden receiving what Mitchell believed to be favorable foul calls.

At shootaround on Tuesday, Mitchell backtracked on the comment and expressed regret that it was caught on tape, via ESPN‘s Tim MacMahon:

“Obviously he’s the MVP. There’s no doubt about that,” Mitchell said. “I’m pretty sure we’ve all said things in the heat of the moment when you get upset. It was more so just about myself. You try so hard to fight back and what we did. I’m definitely upset that it came out that way, but you can’t do anything about it. I understand that there are cameras everywhere. I’m getting used to that. But like I said, he is the MVP, rightfully so.”

Game 5 of Jazz-Rockets is Tuesday night at 8pm ET. Houston leads the series 3-1.

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Mitchell wasn’t pleased with some of the calls that went against Utah, per Jake Edmonds of KUTV News:

Donovan Mitchell walking into the locker room after the Jazz’ Game 4 loss to Houston: “If that’s what he needs to win the MVP, so be it.” #HOUatUTA

— Jake Edmonds (@JakeKUTV) May 7, 2018

Mitchell finished the night with a team-high 25 points while Harden scored 24.

The post Donovan Mitchell: ‘If That’s What (Harden) Needs To Win The MVP, So Be It’ appeared first on SLAM.