Oklahoma City Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Donovan Mitchell
I’ll admit, I was tempted to put Rudy Gobert here once again as the matchups between he and Steven Adams are always a blast to behold. Adams is one of my favorite non-Jazz big men and I love the way he approaches and plays the game.
Another one I’m looking forward to is Mike Conley versus Chris Paul. Paul has notoriously given the Utah Jazz trouble, but since the days of Deron Williams, they’ve never had as prolific of a point guard to throw at him as they do now in Conley. But, considering that CP3 likely won’t figure into OKC’s long-term future and could very well be dealt before or early into the season, that didn’t feel like the most intriguing matchup to keep tabs on.
Instead, that title goes to the one between two rising young stars: Donovan Mitchell and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Donovan Mitchell is already the face and future of the Utah Jazz. After leading them to two consecutive postseason appearances in the immediate wake of the loss of Gordon Hayward, Mitchell has already solidified himself as an all-time great Jazzman. He figures to take yet another leap in his third year that has Jazz fans dreaming of the Larry 0’Brien Championship Trophy.
Meanwhile, though Gilgeous-Alexander will be playing in just his second year as a pro, the Thunder already have high hopes for him as the future face of their franchise. What Mitchell has already attained in Utah, OKC brass hopes SGA can pull off in Oklahoma City.
He was prolific in his first year with the LA Clippers as he averaged 10.8 points and 3.3 assists while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from deep, all great marks for a rookie. Even more, he showed a knack for the game and an enormous potential that should have Thunder fans excited about his future.
Not only that, but Gilgeous-Alexander was essentially the ‘sacrificial lamb’ of the Paul George deal as the most hurtful piece the Clippers had to part with in order to land both Kawhi Leonard and PG this summer. Not only was trading him difficult for LA, but it almost assuredly will put a massive chip on SGA’s shoulder. Considering the Thunder will essentially be handing the reins over to him in OKC, expect him to have a great opportunity for a breakout year in his sophomore season.
I expect Gilgeous-Alexander to be one of the more enticing young players to watch this year. And when he goes head-to-head against Donovan Mitchell, a fellow young player that has already burst onto the scene, we could be in for some exhilarating matchups. Both are athletic and dynamic guards with exceptional skills on both ends of the floor.
Now that they’re in the same division, their individual battles four times per year will be among the best to keep tabs on, even if the Thunder have taken a considerable step back as a whole from where they were the previous two seasons.
Scheduled Contests:
- Oklahoma City at Utah 10/23
- Oklahoma City at Utah 12/9
- Utah at Oklahoma City 3/11
- Utah at Oklahoma City 4/13