Utah Jazz star rookie Donovan Mitchell expressed his excitement in welcoming Dante Exum back into the lineup.
Eric Woodyard of Deseret News recently posted a video of Mitchell welcoming Exum back, who is set to make his season debut against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell welcomes @daanteee back to the team. “I’m proud of you brother,” @spidadmitchell said. “It’s been a long, long road but we’re back tomorrow and let’s get to it!” pic.twitter.com/ex0bouCRTP
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) March 14, 2018
Mitchell has been one of the top rookies so far in the NBA this season. It comes as a surprise to many, especially since he was drafted 13th overall by the Denver Nuggets, then was traded to the Jazz on draft night.
So far, Mitchell has been logging in great numbers, averaging 19.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Pundits have continued to praise his play, saying that he moves like a veteran who's played in the NBA for quite some time. Yet he's only 21-years-old with plenty of games to play and improve.
With Exum's return, the Jazz are primed with young players with infinite potential. To recall, Exum was selected fifth overall in 2014. However, a string of injuries has prevented him from getting on-court action. During the 2015-2016 season, the Australian suffered a torn ACL which sidelined him for the rest of the year. And on October 6, 2017, a shoulder injury forced him to undergo surgery.
Though Exum is primed and ready, the Jazz are still on the lookout for his health. As reported by Kyle Goon of The Salt Lake Tribune, Jazz head coach Quin Snyder said:
“We’re continuing to monitor how he’s doing, but there’s not been a lot of contact in practice because of the games,” Snyder said. “But he’s involved in everything we can get involved in.”
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