Louisville Basketball: Goals for Each Former Card in the NBA
Donovan Mitchell
Goal: Be Named a 2019 Western Conference All-Star
Donovan Mitchell’s rookie year was nothing short of sensational. You know the story by now: Little known mid-first round pick takes over and leads a downtrodden team to the Western Conference Semifinals.
Mitchell has all of the intangibles to continue growing: great work ethic, humility, leadership qualities, spider qualities- the whole nine yards. He already won the NBA dunk contest in 2018, and put on a show in the Rising Stars game. Now, Mitchell will look to continue his upward trajectory into complete stardom by making the All-Star team.
It will be a tough task, though. James Harden, Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard, Damian Lillard, and Klay Thompson made it from the west last year. To even mention Donovan Mitchell in the same breath as those players is a compliment in and of itself. That said, Mitchell is on the right path to make his first All-Star Game appearance.
If he continues to demonstrate the ability to get to the basket at will, orchestrate and lead the Jazz offense with poise, and improve his shooting stroke, Mitchell already has star power by his side. The Washington Post rates him as the 31st best player in the league, and the 6th youngest player to crack the top 100.
Look for Mitchell to make his first All-Star appearance if the beginning of this season mirrors the end of last year.
Terry Rozier
Goal: Win Sixth Man of the Year
Rozier finally became the player most in Louisville thought that he could be when he entered the NBA. Rozier is more than just a role player- he will start full-time sooner rather than later. A team that features Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown, however, makes the Celtics the most formidable back court in the NBA.
Rozier replaced Irving at the end of the regular season and into the postseason, and did so admirably. He will likely come off of the bench for the entirety of 2018-19, but that won’t stop him from being one of the most valuable pieces for a team heavily favored to make the NBA finals.
Rozier has the ability to come off the bench, but wind up being a stat stuffer and finish in the top 3 or 4 in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. If he brings starter-type stats, but comes off the bench as a spark for the Celtics, he will be in sixth man of the year conversation.