Donovan Mitchell is nearing the end of his first professional season, and he has his friend both to thank and to blame.
Houston guard Chris Paul was the one who told Mitchell last summer to declare for the draft, that he had what it takes to play in the NBA. A year later, Paul and the Rockets are showing the Utah Jazz’s star rookie what it will take to win.
“I sent Donovan a text after the [Jazz-Thunder] series and told him, ‘Congrats, talk to you after the series,’” Paul said after one game of this Western Conference semifinal matchup.