Rookie Donovan Mitchell Shocked Ex 76ers Star in 1st Encounter: “This (Expletive) Is Gonna Turn Into a 30-Point Per-Game Scorer!?”

You think about Donovan Mitchell today as a graceful and dynamic scorer. He has an arsenal unlike any offensive player in this league. He can shoot, make athletic plays and move the rock effortlessly. What if I told you it wasn’t always like this? Mitchell first rose to prominence as a defender at Louisville. The Cavs star even thinks that was his defining trait when he entered the NBA. Looking back on it, the transition seems surprisingly wild.

Today, Mitchell is an offensive heavyweight who has led the Cleveland Cavaliers to one of the best winning streaks the NBA has seen in a long time. He continually adds weapons to his repertoire, which has allowed him to stand out from a traditional marker. His innate passing instincts have helped the Cavs become a cohesive system. Even though they are young and inexperienced, they have proven that they will not back down from anyone.

On the Old Man and The Three podcast, host JJ Reddick recalled his first match against Mitchell and revealed his amazement at his development.

JJ Reddick didn’t see Donovan Mitchell becoming a high-volume scorer

Mitchell was a rookie in Utah when he first faced JJ Reddick, who was playing for the Philadelphia 76ers at the time. As he recalls, he was given the job of guarding the Cavaliers because “they didn’t think he was a scorer.” Mitchell had a miserable outing. “He was 3 for 21,” the ESPN analyst said proudly but also with a touch of sarcasm.

Despite his terrible performance, Reddick vaguely remembers his thoughts after the match. “At the time, I was like, ‘Man, this guy is fucking aggressive, he’s edgy and he rebounds, he’s got a handle, he’s got a really nice shot.’ He’s going to be a very good offensive player. I didn’t know that bastard was going to turn into a 30 point per game scorer.” » Reddick said, still apparently surprised by the result.

Mitchell has become one of the most astute scorers in the league. His wide base jump shot looks fluid and smooth. Then there’s the added threat of his freakish athleticism. The 27-year-old also has a dexterous handle. Long story short, no defender is safe against him as he scores 28 points per game this season.

During his years in Utah, this became Mitchell’s reputation. He was a killer when it came to putting the ball in the basket. However, he has also been criticized for having only one dimension to his game, that of a goalscorer. “He just stopped defending” » teammate Jarrett Allen jokingly told Reddick. But there was truth in it.

His days on the Utah Jazz were marked by such criticism. He was considered one of the worst defenders in the league, statistically and visually. All the while, Mitchell kept receipts. Upon arriving in Cleveland, the young starlet understood the vitality of playing hard on both ends of the court. So he revived his varsity and played dedicated defense.

The result?

This season, Mitchell has a better defensive rating than Anthony Edwards, the starting guard on the best defensive team in the NBA. Additionally, he ranks 2nd in steals with 1.8 per game and has the 6th most defensive win share this season despite being the only player in the top 10 to have played in fewer than 50 games this season.

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Mitchell’s dedication also helped transform the Cavaliers. They were in crisis at the start of the season. However, he and the unit remained balanced and are now the second seed in the East. They established themselves as contenders. And Donovan Mitchell proved he was more than just an elite scorer.