Utah Jazz: Mitchell and Gobert plan to beat, not join, the super teams

In a league that’s been soiled by a mentality of All-Stars joining forces for easy championships, Utah Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert have a beat not join mentality.

As exciting as the upcoming NBA season is bound to be, it’s overshadowed by a disappointing element. Prior to the season starting, heck, prior to the offseason starting, we all had a pretty dang good idea of how the whole thing is going to end up – with the Golden State Warriors bringing home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

They’ve done so twice in a row already, and with a starting lineup comprised of five All-Stars now that DeMarcus Cousins is in the mix alongside Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and the rest of the gang, their chances of being stopped have only gone backwards. Barring an unforeseen injury or other misfortune, try as they might, it would appear that no team is equipped to stop the Warriors in 2019.

Sure, anything can happen. But Golden State’s probability of winning it all is still extremely high. Mind-blowingly high. Disappointingly high.

Nevertheless, the Utah Jazz may be one of the best-equipped teams to, at a minimum, compete with the Warriors and give them a run for their money. The Jazz went 3-1 against them in the regular season last year, with each victory coming in convincing fashion, and the first of which coming against a fully-healthy Golden State squad.

Not only that, but between a staunch defense anchored by Rudy Gobert, a prolific offense focused on advantage basketball but graced by the prowess of Donovan Mitchell, exceptional depth and a brilliant coach, the Jazz are certainly going to be among the elite in the West, and could very well be a tough customer for Golden State.

Does that mean I think they’ll beat them this year in a potential playoff series? Unfortunately, probably not. But nevertheless, that’s not phasing the likes of Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert from embracing the journey they’re on and being determined to achieve the quest of rising to the top.

And they want to do it the hard way. With no shortcuts. Because the hard way also just so happens to be the gratifying way.

In a league that’s seemingly become predicated on stars ‘teaming up’ so that they can win a ring, Mitchell and Gobert both recently made it clear that they have no intention of following that path whatsoever. Rather than joining them, they’re planning on beating them.

In an interview with Eastbay, for which Donovan Mitchell was the cover athlete for the most recent magazine, he had the following to say on the matter–

"“I have a lot of friends in this league. We can be friends, but when it comes down to it I’m here to win. There are a lot guys joining forces, and right now the best team in the league has 5 all-stars. I understand the move, but I’d rather beat them than join them.”"

Rudy Gobert matched that sentiment in a recent interview with Jazz media in which he also stated his intention to become one of the all-time great players to play the game. Per the Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen, he said–

"“Everyone’s different. I take a lot of pride of when you build something. I’d rather do it the hard way than do it the easy way. It’s not just getting a ring, because if I just want to get a ring I just go the jewelry store and get a ring. What’s most important is the story behind it.”"

I absolutely love both sentiments, but especially that of Rudy Gobert. When Kevin Durant went to the Warriors, NBA legend Reggie Miller stated that the superstar had “traded a sacred legacy for cheap jewelry.”

KD can get as defensive as he wants, call as many people haters as he’d like and try to justify his actions as much as he pleases, but Miller and Gobert speak true. Jewelry is a dime a dozen, you can get it from your local jewelry store, but the journey to becoming a true champion is priceless. That’s the kind of dedication, challenge and ultimately true rewarding experience that both Mitchell and Gobert are seeking.

And I believe that’s the exact same mantra that Jazz fans want their players to have.

I don’t know when or if the Utah Jazz will win a championship. They came darn close on a pair of occasions back in the day and haven’t matched that level since. However, I’ll say that since that time, this current group is the closest the Jazz have ever been.

Mitchell, Gobert, Coach Snyder and the rest of the gang are bought in for the ultimate prize. No shortcuts, no easy way out and no teaming up just to get some cheap jewelry. They’re in it for the long haul.

When it does finally pay off, it’s going to be in a significant and meaningful way. I can hardly wait to watch them resume their journey, difficult though it may be, in a few short weeks.