{"id":21886,"date":"2022-07-22T03:32:49","date_gmt":"2022-07-22T03:32:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/donovan-mitchell-a-superstar-already\/"},"modified":"2022-07-22T03:32:49","modified_gmt":"2022-07-22T03:32:49","slug":"donovan-mitchell-a-superstar-already","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/donovan-mitchell-a-superstar-already\/","title":{"rendered":"Donovan Mitchell &#8216;a superstar already&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>As the Knicks and Jazz go back and forth on Donovan Mitchell, as trade packages get bandied about in terms of the assets it would take for Leon Rose and Co.  to land the All-Star guard from Elmsford, NY, what has gotten lost somewhat is the level of player being discussed. <\/p>\n<p>A three-time All-Star at the age of 25. A player who has averaged 23.9 points, 5.3 assists and 4.2 rebounds, along with shooting 36.1 percent from 3-point range, over his sterling, five-year career.  A magnetic personality.  The type of talent the Knicks haven&#8217;t been employed since the days of Carmelo Anthony, and one who is just hitting his prime now. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cListen, I don&#8217;t know what the expiration date is on saying he&#8217;s still young, but the guy&#8217;s still young.  He still has room to grow, and I think he will,\u201d Thurl Bailey, a former Jazz star and analyst on the team&#8217;s pre- and postgame shows, told The Post in a phone interview.  \u201cI think he&#8217;s a superstar already.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>As a Jazz employee, Bailey declined to address the trade talks or how Mitchell would handle playing back home in New York City.  He was willing to break down the player he has known since he entered the league five years ago. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><figcaption>Donovan Mitchell<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"691\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/GettyImages-1350301979.jpg?resize=691%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Thurl Bailey\" class=\"wp-image-23155999\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/GettyImages-1350301979.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1382 1382w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/GettyImages-1350301979.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1037 1036w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/GettyImages-1350301979.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=691 691w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/GettyImages-1350301979.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=346 345w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/GettyImages-1350301979.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption>Thurl Bailey<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Bailey has had a courtside seat for Mitchell&#8217;s mostly brilliant NBA career.  He saw the former Louisville star, as the 13th pick in the 2017 draft, make an unexpectedly immediate impact as a rookie and develop into one of the sport&#8217;s best small guards.  He witnessed a selfless and personable star who didn&#8217;t change even as his bank account did, frequently giving his game-worn sneakers to young fans and chatting with people, from media members to fans, at the team hotel. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe&#8217;s not a guy who walks straight to the elevator or straight to the training room,\u201d Bailey said.  \u201cYou can tell who the giving souls are, you can tell who the guys are that are selfish, and you can tell why guys do things, and Donovan isn&#8217;t one of those guys who does it for publicity.  He does it because that&#8217;s the way he is.  He was raised with that quality, and he hasn&#8217;t lost it.  That says a lot about a player of his caliber to me.\u201d <\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n\t<\/aside>\n<p>To Bailey, Mitchell is the entire package: an elite star who handles pressure well, just 25 years old and already one of the sport&#8217;s premier offensive players, a charismatic and outgoing guy who other stars gravitate toward. <\/p>\n<p>Sure, there are a few issues.  Mitchell is just 6-foot-1, and his defense has come under criticism on occasion.  His career postseason record is 3-6, and he&#8217;s been a part of some very strong teams in Utah, particularly the 52-win team last year that blew a 2-0 lead to the Clippers in the second round of the playoffs. <\/p>\n<p>It can be easy to forget, because Mitchell has basically been a star since entering the league, that he is just now approaching what should be his best basketball years.  He doesn&#8217;t turn 26 until September.  There remains room for growth. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the things that Donovan can and will get better at is his on-court leadership.  It&#8217;s OK to get into a guy on your team every now and then,\u201d Bailey said.  \u201cThere is a way to do it.  One of the elements that I have been waiting to see [out of him] is that alpha dog attitude.  I&#8217;d like to see a little bit more of that outwardly from Donovan, especially in difficult games, difficult parts of the season.  I think he has it in him. <\/p>\n<p>\u201c Whoever is around him respects him in that way.  This doesn&#8217;t mean yelling all the time.  It just means not taking any crap, saying, &#8216;C&#8217;mon guys, this is the moment.&#8217;  I&#8217;ve seen a certain level of that, but I think at this stage of the game, that has to be a little louder.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the biggest question for Mitchell, if he does indeed find his way home to the Knicks, is what level of a star he&#8217;ll become.  Can he be a No.  1 guy on a championship team?  Does he fit better as a No.  2?  Will his presence allow the Knicks to draw a big-time star down the road? <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think he can be that guy in the right situation, with the right surroundings,\u201d Bailey said.  \u201cDonovan is super-hungry to get there and to win it, and it&#8217;s not just up to him.  He&#8217;s a big piece of it, but in today&#8217;s league you have to have a lot of different elements and ingredients.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the Knicks and Jazz go back and forth on Donovan Mitchell, as trade packages get bandied about in terms of the assets it would take for Leon Rose and Co. to land the All-Star guard from Elmsford, NY, what has gotten lost somewhat is the level of player being discussed. A three-time All-Star at &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/donovan-mitchell-a-superstar-already\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Donovan Mitchell &#8216;a superstar already&#8217;<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[6],"tags":[3051,68,312,307,1654],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13709,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/donovan-mitchell-shown-wearing-a-new-york-hoodie\/","url_meta":{"origin":21886,"position":0},"title":"Donovan Mitchell shown wearing a New York hoodie","date":"July 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A day after the Jazz said they're willing to listen to trade offers for Donovan Mitchell, the three-time NBA All-Star may have just given a hint about his future destination. Ben Ritholtz, who is contributor to sites Knicks Film School and The Strickland, tweeted that Mitchell was seated in front\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Donovan Mitchell averaged just under 24 points a game his first five years in Utah.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/1240315195.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13833,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/a-donovan-mitchell-trade-could-backfire-on-knicks-scout\/","url_meta":{"origin":21886,"position":1},"title":"A Donovan Mitchell trade &#8216;could backfire&#8217; on Knicks: scout","date":"July 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"On paper, it is a no-brainer. Donovan Mitchell is a three-time All-Star. He's a difference-maker at only 25 years of age. He is a New Yorker who understands the pressure that comes with playing for the Knicks, and is repped by CAA, the agency Knicks president Leon Rose once ran.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Donovan Mitchell","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Donovan-Mitchell.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":14774,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/donovan-mitchell-fares-well-at-msg-could-continue-with-knicks\/","url_meta":{"origin":21886,"position":2},"title":"Donovan Mitchell fares well at MSG, could continue with Knicks","date":"July 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Donovan Mitchell has popped up this year at Rangers playoff games and at Citi Field to take batting practice with the Mets. Even before a potential trade to the Knicks comes to fruition, the three-time NBA All-Star guard is already being honored this weekend with his first New York-based bobblehead\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz dunks the ball during a game against the Knicks on March 20, 2022 at Madison Square Garden.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/1239380513-e1657841689780.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":30427,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/knicks-jazz-havent-spoken-in-two-weeks-about-donovan-mitchell-as-trade-talks-stall\/","url_meta":{"origin":21886,"position":3},"title":"Knicks, Jazz haven&#8217;t spoken in two weeks about Donovan Mitchell as trade talks stall","date":"July 30, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Trade talks between the Knicks and Jazz over Donovan Mitchell have apparently stalled. the two teams haven't talked in two weeks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. The news comes after New York backed away from a reported offer in mid-July of six future first-round draft picks,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Donovan Mitchell remains a member of the Jazz \u00e2\u0080\u0094 for now.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/1240314504.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17125,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/donovan-mitchell-throws-out-first-pitch-before-cyclones-game\/","url_meta":{"origin":21886,"position":4},"title":"Donovan Mitchell throws out first pitch before Cyclones game","date":"July 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The uncertainty over Donovan Mitchell's future doesn't seem to be bothering him. Though the three-time All-Star guard's name has been bandied about in trade rumors, with the Knicks interested in landing the high-scoring standout and the rebuilding Jazz believed to be serious about moving him, Mitchell enjoyed a Saturday in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"Donovan Mitchell, who is has been a subject of Knicks' trade talks with the Jazz, throws out the first pitch before the Cyclones game.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/Donovan-Mitchell-2-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13842,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/knicks-jazz-engage-in-donovan-mitchell-trade-talks\/","url_meta":{"origin":21886,"position":5},"title":"Knicks, Jazz engage in Donovan Mitchell trade talks","date":"July 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Jazz and Knicks have begun discussions on a potential trade to send three-time NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell to New York, sources tell The Athletic. The Jazz are having conversations with multiple teams on a Mitchell deal, but the Knicks have emerged as the focused destination over the past several\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sports&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/newspress-collage-23155864-1658448742793.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1658434418&w=1024","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21886"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21886"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21886\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}