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USA basketball head coach Gregg Popovich wants Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell to affect the game for others as well as himself during training camp in Las Vegas.
Team USA will bring 12 players to the FIBA tournament. The training camp from Monday to Friday will be used to select the 12-man roster for this year’s World Cup in China.
Team USA coach Gregg Popovich said he is looking for Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell to be a leader as the week progresses. He says he wants Mitchell to affect the game for others as well as himself
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) August 5, 2019
Gregg Popovich once said when he calls a play for a player, it doesn't mean he's asking that player to score the ball all the time. Sometimes, Popovich will call a play for a guy so he can help another guy get a better shot at the basket.
We all know Donovan Mitchell can score the ball. He's established himself as one of the best young scorers in the NBA in his first two seasons with the Jazz. The next step for Mitchell is to affect the game without scoring. As good as Mitchell is, he's going to have nights where he's not shooting the ball well.
On those nights, instead of forcing up shots, Mitchell should focus on playmaking and getting his teammates wide-open looks, something Popovich can teach him.
Last season, Mitchell averaged 23.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 43.2 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from beyond the arc and 80.6 percent from the free-throw line. The Jazz lost to the Houston Rockets in the first-round of the 2019 playoffs in five games.
With Mike Conley as his new point guard, Mitchell is set up to be an All-Star next season. The high-flyer should use his time with Popovich wisely and learn as much as he can from one of the brightest basketball minds.
