"My Mindset Is To Win" | Mitchell Vows To Return Better Than Ever

One thing that can never be doubted is Donovan Mitchell’s competitive fire. Whether through injury, determination, or pure grit, Mitchell is a player who will always leave it on the court — a budding superstar that’s expected to keep getting better each season.

But what truly separates Mitchell from others in his class is his willingness to be a leader for the Utah Jazz — someone who leads vocally and by example. 

That was never more apparent than Thursday night in Utah’s season-ending loss to the Mavericks. 

While most superstars want the ball and to be the one taking the lost shot of the season, Mitchell is unique in the sense that he does what he believes is best for the team. He trusts his teammates, trusts his coaches, and will execute whatever play is called. 

With Utah’s season on the line, Mitchell served as a decoy as the Mavericks through two players at him. That led to a wide-open Bojan Bogdanovic taking a three-pointer that could’ve won the Jazz the game. Although the shot didn’t go in, Mitchell’s understanding of the situation to give Utah its best chance at victory is something that can never be overlooked or overstated. 

“This hurts, we fell short of our goal. I’m hurting right now. … I’m speechless,” Mitchell said. “My mindset is to win, I just want to win.”

Coming off another season where he was named an all-star — tied with Boston’s Jayson Tatum for the most all-star selections from the 2017 draft class — Mitchell vowed to get back to work this offseason and emerge better than ever when he returns to Salt Lake City in September.