Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell passing confidence down to Grayson Allen

Just as Donovan Mitchell benefited from his Utah Jazz teammates believing in him as a rookie, he’s now showing that same faith in first-year player Grayson Allen.

When the Utah Jazz traded for Donovan Mitchell, fans of the Salt Lake City squad were excited and optimistic at what he could become. He was visually elated to come to Utah and looked like he’d be a daunting foe based on his Summer League performance. Even so, I don’t think any of us could have predicted just how much he would rise to stardom and burst onto the scene.

Mitchell has been nothing short of a heaven-sent for the Utah Jazz, replacing old scars left by the departure of Gordon Hayward and allowing the team to not only remain relevant, but continue to approach dominance. Make no mistake about it, his work is far from done as the Jazz are in for not only an exciting 2018-19 season, but an exhilarating handful of years ahead.

And while Donovan certainly deserves a lot of the credit for the work ethic and determination it’s taken him to rise in this fashion, he most definitely didn’t do it alone. Mitchell has even admitted that he wasn’t sure if he was good enough to be drafted, but several players encouraging him and believing in him along the way was enough to spur him to declare. I guarantee that’s a decision he’ll never regret.

Even after having his name called on draft day, though, he needed further encouragement and confidence from there. Fortunately, he received it from the likes of his coaching staff and teammates who have fully believed in him and had his back since Day 1. Guys like Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles, Derrick Favors and others were always quick to support Mitchell, which included praising him for his highs and helping to pick him back up during his lows.

All of that led to him excelling for the Jazz throughout the regular season and especially in the postseason. And I can’t wait to see him continue to build and grow from there.

But the best part about Mitchell is that he hasn’t forgotten how crucial that belief and support were in his rookie season and he’s now passing that on to rookie Grayson Allen. Allen has a long way to go before we can say he’s ready to be an impact player in the NBA, but if his professional debut against the Perth Wildcats in Saturday’s preseason contest is any indication, he’s definitely on the right track.

Allen came out guns blazing, converting on each of his first five shots, including four 3-pointers, to finish the night with a game-high 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 (55.6 percent) shooting from the perimeter. It was an awesome sight to behold from the young rookie.

And I’m certain that Mitchell’s unwavering support went a long way in helping Allen be able to come out of the gates red hot. Not only was he ecstatic to see the Jazz take Grayson on draft day, and made sure to show him he felt that way, but he’s praised the rookie pretty much all summer. He’s mentioned several times how good he looked in open gym and has singled him out as a player that’s impressed him.

To some extent, I’m sure the high praise is to psychologically boost the rookie, and that’s perfectly fine, especially if it’s working as well as it appeared to on Saturday night! But at the same time, I think it’s pretty clear that Allen is deserving of that recognition as well. It certainly showed in his professional debut.

Just as it came together this way with Donovan, the combination of Grayson’s individual hard work and the unyielding belief from his teammates could produce exceptional results.

Mitchell himself said it best following the Jazz’s blowout 130-72 preseason win over the Perth Wildcats on Saturday–

"“He’s a fantastic shooter. He really understands the game. It’s all about having trust in your teammates. Last year Rudy had a lot of faith in me. This year, it’s the same with Grayson.”"

Donovan clearly recognizes what a difference it made to have the likes of the team’s best player, Rudy Gobert, as well as others, show faith in him last season as he underwent his meteoric rise. Now, he’s paying it forward by showing that same faith in newcomer Grayson Allen. That’s impressive. That’s significant. That’s the trait of a real leader.

It goes without saying at this point, but allow me to reiterate, the Utah Jazz have an absolute gem in Donovan Mitchell. As he continues to expand his individual game while also elevating that of his teammates, this squad truly has a chance to become something special.

The path to success begins with belief, and this Jazz team has no shortage of confidence in themselves or in one another. With Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert leading the charge and passing that confidence down to the rest of the team, there’s no telling just how high they’ll be able to ascend.