Jazz’s seventh consecutive victory – 129-118 over the Pelicans – is hampered by national broadcast analysts who say the guard “has no impact on the rest of the game” other than scoring.
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) assists after placing the ball over New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Bledsoe (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, 21 January 2021 in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo / Rick Bowmer)
“I said tonight that you don’t have what it takes to reach the next level.”
That’s what TNT studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal told Donovan Mitchell shortly after Utah Jazz’s 129-118 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night – a game that not only saw Jazz take over. seventh consecutive victory, but which saw Mitchell arguably play his best game of the season, hitting 11 of 19 shots in general and 6 of 7 in the background, totaling 36 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
And that was how a national television showcase for Jazz became a source of controversy and motivation for the team’s All-Star guard.
During the game break, TNT’s “Inside the NBA” team of O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson got into an argument over whether Mitchell was anything more than a good bucket hunter on a very good, he had the true ability to “superstar” to impact the game in other ways besides scoring.
Mitchell was informed of O’Neal’s criticism by the Hall of Fame center itself, so he asked for an answer.
His one-word answer clearly annoyed-but-refused-to-take the bait: “Right.”
But Mitchell would have a lot more to say to the local media later.
“We are in a seven-game winning streak now, we are playing good basketball – I hate having a win like that and doing what they said about me,” he noted. “See how we play and defend, I’m happy.”
There was, in fact, a lot to be happy about, considering that Jazz had just recovered from a 16-point deficit, had just overcome its worst basketball quarter of the season when it awarded 43 points in the first period to the Pelicans, it had only improved to 11-4 overall in the season.
And yet, as it was happening, the TNT team was reaching a consensus that Mitchell doesn’t do enough besides scoring to be the main guy in a championship contender.
O’Neal opened the argument by suggesting that Mitchell “needs to be a second or third option” for a team to compete. When Smith countered, “I can see he scores at will and I see he is dominating people,” Barkley interrupted: “This is not what a superstar is. A superstar is a guy who can win the game in many ways.
“Many guys are great offensive players, but a superstar is a guy who can win a game; if he’s having a bad shooting night, he can get a lot of rebounds or he can play defense, ”added Barkley. “… When guys try to explain this kind of thing, it looks like the old people are hating it. It is not the hatred of the old. It’s like, ‘OK, he’s a great striker.’ I will admit, but it has no impact on the rest of the game. “
O’Neal doubled over this premise: “He is a great striker, I agree with that. But if he is not scoring, what else can he do? “
Mitchell’s teammates, of course, gathered in his defense.
“I’m a big fan of Don and I see how he grew up in the last few seasons, even before I was here. Your progression has been great, and I don’t know how you can make a statement about your progress at such a young age, ”said Mike Conley, who finished with 20 points, six assists and three steals. “He’s a guy who gets better every year. He added things to his game. And it will continue to improve. “
“I think at the end of the day, whatever they want to call us, if we keep winning the games, they will have to watch us anyway,” said Gobert. “I hope they will watch us until July [when the NBA Finals are scheduled to take place], and then they can call us whatever they want. “
For his part, Mitchell – of course – disagreed with analysts’ assessment of his game, saying, “I think I made some solid strides” in areas other than scoring.
He noticed that he likes the simplicity of the rebound, the act of placing a body over an opponent, rising to the sky and fighting to see who goes down with the ball. He added that, although he knows he can still progress as a passer, he prides himself on moving the ball, “being able to make the move simple, not always trying to get the hero to play, the home run to play”
Mitchell also made it clear, however, that if some critics change their opinions about him it is irrelevant – Jazz has a bigger deal on hand.
“I’m here to play basketball and be the best teammate and the best player I can be. [And if] they don’t like it, they don’t like it, ”he said. “I’m not trying to do that about myself – this is team basketball. At the end of the day, we are winning, we are doing good things, we just have to continue because you have the Golden State coming [Saturday] and we have to be ready for that. “
JAZZ 129, PELICANS 118
Key moment • After fighting most of the way back in the second half, a 21-2 run by Jazz in the third put them firmly in control.
Large number: 3 • Pelicans were dominant from the start, going 8 out of 11 in the 3-point range in the first quarter. They would only make three more besides the arc for the rest of the game, however.
Next • The estate continues on Saturday with the visit of the Golden State Warriors. The complaint was rescheduled from a matinee at 3pm to 7pm as usual