The biggest shame about the Rudy Gobert-Donovan Mitchell era with the Utah Jazz is that the Western Conference Semifinals was the furthest they went. Since both left, Gobert has made two WCFs with the Minnesota Timberwolves while Mitchell has only gone as far as the semifinals, but that may not be for much longer.
Mitchell and the Cavaliers won their third consecutive game in their Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Detroit Pistons. Not only are they up 3-2, but now they're headed back to Cleveland, where they have yet to lose in these playoffs.
After their initial struggles, it should be hard for Jazz fans not to be happy with Mitchell after all this time. Not only did those Jazz teams fail to make some legitimate noise in the West when he was a Jazzman, but they weren't even particularly close.
The closest they got was 2021 against the Los Angeles Clippers where they were up 2-0 before losing their next four games. Mitchell was hurt, but then again, so was Kawhi Leonard.
So, all these years later, it's fun to see Mitchell see the success he never got in Utah, though he hasn't technically gotten over that hump yet. Whether the Cavaliers do or not is anyone's guess, but at least Mitchell can say that he went further in Cleveland than he ever did in Utah.
This is the last year Jazz fans can root for Mitchell & Gobert elsewhere
2026 has been fun for any Jazz fan rooting for alumni. Besides Mitchell coming the closest he has ever been to a conference finals, Jordan Clarkson will be waiting for either him or Detroit when they get there. Also, Rudy Gobert has completely destroyed the prevailing negative narrative about him in the playoffs.
However, fans should enjoy it while it lasts because next season everything will be different. The Jazz are locked and loaded to go on a playoff run next season. Everything about them currently is strictly on paper, but for that reason, it's hard to gauge just how good they will be.
They just caught their biggest break in ages by getting the second overall pick in a loaded draft class. When they do, the Jazz fanbase will justifiably pay the most attention to the current squad rather than the stars from yesteryear.
In fact, there's a solid chance the ex-Jazzmen might be who get in their way, which sadly may make it easier not to root for them anymore. Regardless, before they take the NBA by storm next season, it's cool to see Mitchell and co. reach new heights they haven't before.
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