Utah Jazz talent Donovan Mitchell has taken it upon himself to become one of Team USA's pillars in the FIBA World Cup. San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has nothing but good words to say about the Spider.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst wrote a compelling piece saying that this is Mitchell's moment to rise and place himself on a higher level on the NBA pyramid.

The combo guard took on the duty with delight, helping to bring the team together. He is now considered one of the guys bringing the team together and helping them become a cohesive unit on and off the floor.

Popovich mentioned how important he is becoming for USA and the Jazz:

“He has a propensity for leadership and that's how I spent my time with him,” Popovich said. “I'm not going to teach him how to shoot better or jump better or dribble better. But he has the intelligence and the willingness to become a leader and I think that'd be great. Not just for our team but for his team.”

Windhorst revealed that Popovich's style of choosing team leaders is one based on initiative. He offers the position early in the season and would allow players to pick up the mantle themselves. The method has proven itself effective in the Spurs organization, and it seems like Team USA is also doing fine with this tactic.

And there's no better player to lead the pack than Mitchell. He is younger than some of his USA teammates, but his two seasons working with Quin Snyder and the Jazz have helped him ease into the leadership role with no problem. It also helps that he is one of the better finishers in the league with his 23.8 points a night on 43% shooting.

Much is expected out of Team USA; some may even doubt them. However, Mitchell is happy to take on the burden and help the team get the gold medal.