Donovan Mitchell recently hit the nail on the head on Twitter with a perfect description of his rising Utah Jazz squad.
There’s a lot to like about the Utah Jazz this season. They boast an elite defense, an exciting young core in the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, a brilliant coach and a superb supporting cast and bench. They exceeded expectations last year by advancing to the second round of the playoffs and competing with the Houston Rockets, kept that exciting squad together this summer and figure to be even better in 2018-19.
But forget their mere basketball prowess, this team is a ton of fun personality-wise as well. Donovan has established himself as a great role model in the community and the ultimate fan favorite as he aims to always do good deeds for those around him. Rudy Gobert is a walking, talking chip on the shoulder, always ready to work to defy the odds.
Meanwhile, Joe Ingles is a hilarious trash-talker whose actions on the court, in interviews and on social media are all a thrill to witness. Jae Crowder and Grayson Allen are hard-nosed irritants who are bound to make life difficult for opponents night in and night out.
Ricky Rubio and Derrick Favors are consummate pros and just all-around good guys. And guys like Ekpe Udoh and Thabo Sefolosha are extremely intelligent and intellectual individuals that are great to follow on and off the court. The list goes on and on all throughout the roster.
Yes this is a great team, and one with an exciting future at that. And it’s not just us fans that think that, rising Jazz star Donovan Mitchell took to Twitter recently to let us know just what he felt about his squad as well. See for yourself in the tweet below–
No arguments here. For all the reasons I described both on and off the court, I’d say ‘dope’ is about the perfect word to describe this Jazz team that has captured the hearts and passion of an entire state. The amount of enthusiasm and excitement for the upcoming year is higher than it’s been in decades. There’s no denying that this dope team composed of Mitchell, Gobert and Co. has captivated the masses.
And if their solid start to preseason is any indication, they’re bound to not disappoint this year. The Jazz have high expectations in 2018-19, but they also have an incredible determination to reach and surpass them. Between their amazing work ethic and togetherness, they have all the appearance of being a special team this year.
Being a so-called dope team is always nice, and I think Donovan is spot-on in his description, but they can take it to the next level by also being an elite team on the court. I think we’ll get our first glimpses at seeing just that this upcoming season.