Ahead of the San Antonio Spurs' game against the Utah Jazz on Friday, Gregg Popovich shared what stood out to him the most about Donovan Mitchell during their Team USA stint over the past summer.
Pop expressed his admiration for Mitchell's work ethoc, saying he worked “really hard on making decisions.” He also noted how the Jazz All-Star tried his best to be “more of a Stockton-type point guard,” per the Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Coach Pop, on what he learned about Donovan Mitchell with Team USA: “He’s bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, he wants to learn, he wants to get better, he wants to be great. … He worked really hard on making decisions … trying to be more of a Stockton-type point guard.” pic.twitter.com/pIbvghXq51
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) February 22, 2020
Mitchell and Team USA ultimately came up short in the FIBA World Cup in China, the second biggest international hoops competition behind the Summer Olympics. They finished seventh overall in the World Cup, with Spain claiming the gold medal and Argentina and France behind, respectively.
The former 13th overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, Mitchell is averaging a career-best 24.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game through 53 contests. He is also shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from 3-point range, and 86.1 percent from the free throw line.
Donovan Mitchell has blossomed into a leader for the Jazz, who have kept their eyes on the prize in pursuit of a title. Utah is currently fourth in the competitive Western Conference behind the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers.
Mitchell's Utah squad, with the help of two-time Defensive Player of the Year and first-time All-Star center Rudy Gobert, reached the postseason in the guard's first two NBA seasons, albeit only going as far as the Western Conference semifinals.
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