In some ways, it was a very normal sequence when a ball was kicked out to an open Jazz player, who calmly knocked down the open three-pointer.
But what wasn’t normal was the man shooting the three-pointer; reigning defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert. After knocking down the shot, Gobert turned around and gave his new teammate Hassan Whiteside a high-five before laughing and dancing in front of part owner and future hall of famer Dwyane Wade.
That competitive and intense atmosphere was the vibe of Utah’s opening practice of its 2021 training camp, which according to Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley was not normal.