NBA games of the week: Young winners of All-Star weekend

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 17: (Dunk Sequence 4 of 7) Donovan Mitchell
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 17: (Dunk Sequence 4 of 7) Donovan Mitchell /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 17: (Dunk Sequence 4 of 7) Donovan Mitchell
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 17: (Dunk Sequence 4 of 7) Donovan Mitchell /

Friday, Feb. 23: Portland at Utah, 9:00 p.m. ET

This is the tell-tale sign that criticism is coming: I love Donovan Mitchell. I thought for sure he’d have the best chance to win the Dunk Contest. And I love stories of guys who weren’t sure of their talent, but showed out in areas that NBA veterans assured them they could hang. All phases of our lives could use support like that. People who have been through it before to remind us we’re doing OK and are on the right tracks. Think of how many more people, you and me included, would take chances or stay strong against those inevitable self-doubts if someone with clout like Chris Paul or Paul George took a second to let us know. Of course, hopefully that means we deserve to hear it the way Mitchell did.

Having said all that, I want to pump the brakes a tiny, tiny bit on Mitchell’s Dunk Contest performance by throwing some more respect on Vince Carter.

What I appreciated most about Mitchell’s final dunk is it gave me a reference point to how ridiculous Vinsanity’s reverse-360-windmill was during the 2000 Dunk Contest. Carter barely looked like he tapped into his dunking potential. When Mitchell did the same as tribute, and didn’t reach the range of motion of Carter, my first thought was, “Wow, Vince Carter was…” — I haven’t been able to finish the sentence yet.

That takes nothing from Mitchell. I have no issues with his winning, and though I thought Larry Nance Jr.’s tribute dunk to his father was the best dunk of the night taking into account aesthetics and context, I love that young players harken back to the greats. It’s a moment of solidarity and fandom only the NBA displays at times. The love young players have for those who came before them is one of the low-key healthiest things about the league.

As for Mitchell’s team, the Jazz are the hottest team in the league right now. They’ve won 11 straight and are tops in defensive rating by 4.2 points per 100 possessions over second place. Rudy Gobert’s return is most of the reason their defense is playing so well, but Mitchell has been a gem and arguably the most important rookie to a team’s fortune this season.