"For a group that hates each other, man, we’re playing pretty well" - Donovan Mitchell says it’s 'all good' between him and Ruby Gobert
NBA and Utah Jazz superstar Donovan Mitchell has emphasized there is no bad blood between him and his teammate Rudy Gobert.
Speaking to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Utah Jazz superstar guard spoke of how it is being construed that there is hostility between Mitchell and Gobert. The guard said:
"First of all, we’re good. I just want to go on record with saying that. I think it’s interesting that stuff happens and he and I have never played at this high of a level together since we’ve been here. So I make the joke, For a group that hates each other, man, we’re playing pretty well."
Mitchell continued:
"And we can be even better. We’re good. We’re focused on winning. We have a common goal. I think that’s the biggest thing. You don’t always have to be the best of friends with people you work with. But at the end of the day, if you work towards a common goal that’s beneficial to the team, that’s what’s first. We want to win, and I don’t think either of us are worried about what’s being said around us."
The relationship between Mitchell and Gobert reportedly isn't as strong as it once used to be, as the latter has called out the former for his ability on the defensive end of the floor. That, and their inability to win a championship yet, has apparently strained the relationship between the duo.
Story: Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell to @YahooSports on if he’s happy, how social commentary is received in Utah, importance of competing for chips, and being in modern-day Kobe-Shaq predicament with Rudy Gobert: “I wish. Because they got three rings.” sports.yahoo.com/posted-up-dono…
How far can Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz go this season?
After having a tremendous regular season last year, the Jazz were disappointed to go out to the Los Angeles Clippers in the semifinals of the Western Conference, especially since the Clippers were missing Kawhi Leonard for the last two games of that series.
Without the services of Mike Conley, the Jazz and Donovan Mitchell were disappointed to go out in such fashion, as the Clippers essentially beat the Jazz with their shooting from the perimeter. But this season, the Jazz do have an advantage in terms of retaining much of the same roster from last season amid new faces in the West.
Donovan is one of three players to average 25 points, 4.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game
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Managing to hold on to Mike Conley while bringing in the likes of Rudy Gay and Hassan Whiteside has definitely improved the Jazz roster. But the one main impediment standing in their way is the health of their key players as they have proven time and again to be unreliable when it comes to staying healthy in the biggest moments.
While their perimeter defense has not improved this season, anything more than a second-round departure could potentially be seen as a success for Donovan Mitchell and this roster.