Stephen A. Smith rages at favorite team over Donovan Mitchell fiasco: "That damn Phil Jackson drafted Frank Ntilikina"
Donovan Mitchell is having a career-best season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith hasn't forgotten that his favorite team had the chance to draft Mitchell.
During the 2017 draft, the New York Knicks found themselves selecting eighth. At the time, legendary head coach Phil Jackson was the president of the Knicks organization. The Knicks picked Frank Ntilikina.
Five selections later, the Denver Nuggets chose Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell and then made a draft night trade with the Utah Jazz. The rest would be history, and Knicks fans haven't forgotten the opportunity they had.
Plus, throughout the past offseason, Mitchell was often linked as a potential trade candidate to the Knicks. But then the Cleveland Cavaliers jumped at the opportunity to acquire the star guard. On ESPN's "First Take," longtime Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith didn't hold back his frustration.
"This is what I'm talking about when I'm talking about the damn Knicks right there," Smith said. "Everybody know I'm a Knicks fan, right? I wanted Donovan Mitchell, but you didn't get Donovan Mitchell (during the summer). You got me Jalen Brunson, who I appreciate. I think he's a All-Star this year, but you didn't get Donovan Mitchell.
"I'm talking about a dude, doggy. Here's the ball. Take me there. This is the kind of stuff that ticks me off. I gotta say this. ... I was the one on the air screaming on ESPN Radio in New York, 'Draft Donovan Mitchell!' That damn Phil Jackson drafted Frank Ntilikina. That's why I think he should be banned from the state of New York. That damn Phil Jackson."
Donovan Mitchell looks to build off impressive performance for Cleveland Cavaliers
It seemed as if it was only a matter of time this offseason before the New York Knicks acquired Mitchell. However, the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the basketball world with their acquisition of Mitchell.
While New York Knicks fans will often wonder "what if," Mitchell has been brilliant for Cleveland this season. The Cavaliers (24-14) are just two games behind first place in the Eastern Conference standings.
71 PTS
8 REB
11 AST
W
Donovan Mitchell sets a new scoring record for the Cleveland Cavaliers and becomes only the 7th player in NBA history to score 70+ points in a game. https://t.co/qbOwr3sqyH
Mitchell has become the talk of the NBA world after his eye-opening 71-point performance in a 145-134 overtime win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. The 26-year-old star is having one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 29.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
He is also posting career-high shooting percentages: 49.2%, including 41.3% from 3-point range. If those numbers hold, it would be the first time in his career that he's shot better than 40% from 3-point range.