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.
Training camps are a time designed for the new players and old players too casually get to know one another. It’s a time when they begin to feel each other out and understand what makes one another tick and how they’ll settle into their respective roles this upcoming season.
It’s also a time for the coaching staff to see what it has in its new crop of players and begin to form rotations and see who meshes and plays well with one another.
In their post-practice interviews, Mitchell and Conley constantly praised their new teammates and how the competition aspect of things was much higher than expected.
Because the Jazz return the bulk of last year’s team and added veterans Rudy Gay, Eric Paschall and Whiteside in the offseason, there was very little of that awkwardness that goes with playing new teammates.
It also helps when there are connections between the newcomers and current members of the team.
Gay is a former teammate of Conley’s from their time in Memphis while Paschall is best friends with Mitchell since their childhood days in the northeast. As for Whiteside, he’s one of the most likable and funniest guys in the league so him fitting has been seamless thus far.
Combining their personalities and understanding of the way the NBA works, the opening practice of training camp got very competitive according to Mitchell. The team had multiple 5-on-5 sessions—a rarity on the opening day—that saw the competitive fire be lit underneath each of them.
Then the post-practice shooting drills were just as competitive, even if there were debates among who won.
“I won for sure,” said guard Miye Oni.
Interestingly enough, Mitchell also said the took home the three-dribble competition that also featured Paschall, starting forward Royce O’Neale and reigning sixth man of the year Jordan Clarkson (sporting an uncharacteristic hairdo).
Altogether, it was a practice that one would expect from a team with an identity in search of bringing home its city’s first-ever title. Filled with competition, camaraderie and a solid level of trash talk, Utah is already practicing like it’s the midpoint of the season—and one would think that only means good things for the future.