Utah Jazz: Damian Lillard states Donovan Mitchell is his favorite rookie

Utah Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell recently received a glowing endorsement from All-Star point guard Damian Lillard.

Regardless of how this season ends up, I’m relatively positive that the Utah Jazz’s 2017-18 campaign will forever be remembered as the year of Donovan Mitchell. The rookie had high hopes coming into the season and up to this point so far, he’s absolutely shattered even those. He currently leads all rookies in scoring as well as all of his Utah Jazz teammates, and his aggressive and determined nature on the floor has had much more of an impact than simply scoring points.

As you can see in the chart below from NBA Math, Mitchell is also the leading rookie in terms of Total Points Added on offense. We all knew points were going to be hard for the Jazz to come by this season, but with that being the case, Donovan has been nothing short of a godsend.

His defense against NBA-level guards is still improving, but the raw skills are certainly there and he’s already an above-average defender with the potential to become even better. Mitchell has clearly looked like a star in the making so far this season and he fully solidified that fact during the month of December.

Despite the fact that the Jazz faced a brutal stretch with limited rest against the league’s toughest opponents, Mitchell put up 23.1 points on 50.7 percent shooting from the field and 35.8 percent shooting from deep while adding 3.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals during the month. And, oh yeah, he did that while becoming one of the main focuses on opposing teams’ scouting reports.

Therefore, it goes without saying that Mitchell has been turning heads all season long. From post-game visits from future Hall of Famers such as Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul and LeBron James, to name a few, to praise in post-game interviews from guys like DeMarcus Cousins and Jimmy Butler, the Jazz rookie is certainly making a name for himself.

And most recently, a guy who’s pretty well-liked in Utah despite playing for a divisional foe has indicated that Donovan Mitchell is his favorite rookie. Of course, I’m referring to none other than Weber State alum and NBA All-Star point guard Damian Lillard.

Last night on Twitter, a fan tweeted at Lillard with a simple question:

Lillard is reputed as being pretty open to responding to and engaging with his fans on Twitter, so it came as little surprise that he replied, and his cut and dry response is one that has to bring a smile to the faces of Jazz fans:

Damian Lillard had already given public praise to Mitchell earlier in the season and the two have reportedly been in communication since Donovan was drafted, but this glowing endorsement is a cool one, to be sure. Lillard is a likable guy as it is, but combine that with the fact that he played his college ball at Weber State, was viewed as an underdog entering the league and has been an absolute stud in the NBA, and it’s pretty obvious why he’s so well-liked among Jazz fans.

And with this statement picking Mitchell as his favorite rookie, you can bet that the dream of a Lillard-Mitchell backcourt will only pick up steam in Utah. I’d be all aboard that train myself as Lillard is one of my favorite players as well and would love to see him paired with Mitchell, but I don’t know that it’s anything more than a pipe dream.

For one thing, Lillard’s contract with the Portland Trail Blazers isn’t up until after the 2020-21 season and there seems to be little reason for the Blazers to want to trade him. Not only that, but even once his contract expires, one of the things that makes Lillard such a stud is the loyalty he’s expressed throughout his career. With that being the case, I’d have a hard time seeing him spurn Portland in free agency, and as much as I’d like to see him in a Jazz uniform, I respect him for that.

Nevertheless, a lot can change in three and a half years, so I suppose there’s no harm in hoping. After all, Lillard did recently say on Twitter that if Portland were to ever decide to part ways with him, Utah would be one of his top destinations.

We can dream, can’t we?

Next: Utah Jazz vs. New Orleans Pelicans: Keys to building a win streak

Even if Utah can never land Lillard, though, it’s nice to know that we at least have Donovan Mitchell who’s set to be a cornerstone of this franchise for years to come. And as Mitchell’s popularity and solid play continue, I’m happy to know that a great person and player like Damian Lillard is fully aboard the Donovan Mitchell hype train.