“He’s happy with his current situation, I’m happy with mine,” Donovan Mitchell clears the air on facing ex-teammate Rudy Gobert first time since Jazz breakup
Donovan Mitchell breaks silence on internal feelings about facing Rudy Gobert as a competitor after Jazz parted ways with both of them.
Follow Us
Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell
When Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were traded to separate teams earlier this season, many wondered how the two would react when they faced each other for the first time. Well, that moment has finally come and Donovan Mitchell has opened up about how he feels about facing his former teammate. Let’s take a look at what Mitchell had to say and discuss how the two former teammates handled their reunion and how they are doing in new surroundings.
In the postgame media scrum for the Cavs, Mitchell was asked about his feelings facing Gobert for the first time since the Utah Jazz blew it up. Rudy Gobert went to the Minnesota Timberwolves. On the other hand, Mitchell was traded to Cleveland. Mitchell talked about missing the camaraderie he built up with the rest of the Jazz squad including Gobert before ending the answer to the question by saying “I think the biggest thing is that he’s happy with his current situation, I’m happy with mine”.
The pair shared a handshake and an embrace before tip-off. However, there was no post-match interaction owing to Gobert leaving the game early. Mitchell commented on his former teammate’s early exit. “It was quick,” Mitchell said. “I didn’t know what happened to him until we started getting blitzed every possession. Then I realized he wasn’t on the floor. Always good to catch up and see him again.”
Mitchell and Gobert are both enjoying their new surroundings. Minnesota sits in the 7th spot in the Western Conference and are improving with a 6-4 record in their last 10 games. The Cavaliers are currently tied for the 4th spot in the East with the Philadelphia 76ers and look like a serious threat in the contention conversations.
Related: “You have me in tears again” – Fans get EMOTIONAL as Donovan Mitchell showers love on his young fan
How have Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert fared individually?
Mitchell and Gobert are both all-NBA caliber talents. The two stars are vital cogs to two playoff hopefuls. Rudy Gobert has averaged 13.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 38 games this season. His raw numbers aren’t that impressive to the naked eye, but it isn’t just that. Even the advanced metrics aren’t on Rudy’s side this year. The Timberwolves are actually better this season when Gobert is off the court. The net rating when Gobert is on the court is -1.7 as compared to a +0.9 when he sits.
Mitchell on the other hand, has eye-popping, MVP-level numbers. Donovan Mitchell has averaged 28.8 points, 4.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 39 games this season. However, the on-off numbers tell a similar story with him. Although positive in both regards, the Cavs do have a better net rating when Mitchell is off the court as compared to when he is on (+3.8 on Vs. +5.6 off).
Obviously, on-off numbers do not tell the entire story of how the team functions with/without one player. No one in their right mind would tell you that either of their teams are better without Mitchell or Gobert.
In case you missed it
Do follow us on Google News | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Stay Updated!
Ritik Malik
(1743 Articles Published)