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Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell has made a name for himself in a relatively short period of time. Now entering his third season of service in the league, the former Louisville Cardinal says he's looking to elevate his defensive game.
Mitchell joined Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake City Tribune after Team USA's exhibition victory over Canada. Amid their discussion, Mitchell noted that his goal in year three is to become an elite defender:
“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.”
The Tribune asked Mitchell which players he would like to model his defense after. He mentioned Avery Bradley first, but he also noted that he's been taking lessons from Celtics guard and USA Basketball teammate Marcus Smart. Bradley and Smart are known for their defensive prowess and physicality, and Mitchell says that’s “something I want to really take on.”
“Spida,” as Mitchell has come to be known, is coming off of a fine sophomore season with the Jazz. In 77 regular season appearances (all starts), the 22-year-old racked up averages of 23.8 points on 43.2 percent shooting from the field (36.2 percent from beyond the arc), 4.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 33.7 minutes per outing.
The Jazz finished the 2018-19 season with a 50-32 overall record, earning a No. 5 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. Unfortunately, though, Utah was defeated by the Houston Rockets in the opening round, 4-1.
