After their latest win, Utah Jazz says cumulative wins will silence TNT analyst critics

“I said tonight that you don’t have what it takes to take it to the next level.”

That’s what TNT studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal told Donovan Mitchell in the aftermath of the Utah Jazz’s 129-118 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night – a game that not only saw the Jazz rack up its seventh straight win, but one that saw Mitchell play arguably his best game of the season, hitting 11 of 19 shots overall and 6 of 7 from deep for 36 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

And so a national TV showcase for Jazz instead became a source of controversy and motivation for the team’s All-Star guard.

During half-time in the game, TNT’s “Inside the NBA” team of O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson discussed whether Mitchell was anything but a very good one. bucket in a very good team, whether it was he had a real ability of “superstar” to influence the game other than by scoring.

Mitchell was briefed on O’Neal’s criticism by the Hall of Fame center himself, and then demanded a response.

His one-word answer clearly annoyed but refusing to take the bait: “Good.

But Mitchell would have a lot more to tell the local media later.

“We’re on a seven-game winning streak right now, we’re playing good basketball – I hate getting a win like this and doing what they said about me,” he noted. “You look at how we played and kept, I’m happy.”

There was, indeed, something to be happy about, given that the Jazz had just recovered from a 16 point deficit, had just overcome their worst basketball quarterback of the season by allowing 43 points in the first period to the Pelicans, had just improved to 11-4 overall over the season.

And yet, as it happened, the crew at TNT had come to a consensus that Mitchell wasn’t doing enough beyond scoring to be the main player on a championship contender.

O’Neal opened the argument by suggesting that Mitchell “has to be a second or third option” for a team to compete. When Smith replied, “I see he scores at will and I see he dominates people,” Barkley interjected, “That’s not what a superstar is. A superstar is a guy who can win the game in a number of ways.

“A lot of guys are good offensive players, but a superstar is a guy who can win a game; if he’s having a bad shooting night, he can get a lot of rebounds or play defense, ”added Barkley. “… When guys try to explain this stuff, it seems like the old guys hate it. It’s not the old people who hate it. It’s like, ‘OK, he’s a great goalscorer.’ I’ll give that to you, but it has no impact on the rest of the game. ”

O’Neal doubled down on this premise: “He’s a great scorer, I agree with that. But if he doesn’t score, what else can he do?

Mitchell’s teammates, of course, rallied around his defense.

“I’ve been a huge fan of Don and have seen the way he’s grown over the past few seasons, even before I got here. His progress has been excellent, and I don’t know how you can make a statement regarding his progress at such a young age, ”said Mike Conley, who finished with 20 points, six assists and three steals. “He’s a guy who gets better every year. He has added things to his game. And he will continue to get better.

“I think at the end of the day, whatever they want to call us, if we keep winning games they’re going to have to watch us anyway,” said Gobert. “I hope they can watch us until July [when the NBA Finals are scheduled to take place], then they can call us whatever they want.

For his part, Mitchell – of course – disagreed with analysts’ assessment of his game, saying, “I think I’ve made solid progress” in areas other than scoring.

He noted that he liked the simplicity of the bounce, putting a body on an opponent, rising to the sky and fighting to see who comes down with the ball. He added that while he knows he can still improve as a passer, he is nonetheless proud to move the ball, “being able to make the game simple, not always just trying to get the hero playing, the Homer.

Mitchell also made it clear, however, that whether or not some critics change their minds about him ultimately doesn’t matter – the Jazz has bigger business at their fingertips.

“I’m here to play basketball, and to be the best teammate and the best player I can be. [And if] they don’t like it, they don’t like it, ”he says. “I’m not trying to do this about myself – it’s team basketball. At the end of the day we win, we do good things, we just have to keep going because Golden State is coming [Saturday] and we have to be ready for it.