12. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert
First off, I know the addition of Mike Conley essentially makes this a big three but since we have still yet to see how he fits with this Utah Jazz squad (I expect very well) – and for the sake of this list – we’re just sticking with two.
So, Mitchell and Gobert.
Each one is like the perfect sidekick for the other. Rudy Gobert is a defensive monster and is one of the more imposing forces we’ve seen on that end in recent NBA history. I mean, there’s a reason he’s called the “Stifle Tower”! He locks down the paint, cleans the boards with the best of them and on offense, yeah he has his limitations but he’s excellent around the rim, terrific at crashing the offensive glass and he’s also one heck of a lob threat.
Donovan Mitchell has no such limitations on offense. After a shaky start to his sophomore season, he really ramped up his play down the stretch and is now looking to take another leap heading into year three. Mitchell has all the tools on that end to become one of the top scorers in the entire league. And we could witness it as early as next year. He just needs to improve his consistency and all-around scoring efficiency before he’s in the hunt for the scoring title.
Seriously, the guy is that good.
And that’s also what makes these two such a dynamic duo. They each excel in areas the other does not. I know it’s not surprising since one is a center and the other is a combo guard but the fact that each guy knows his role allows them both to maximize their given skillsets and is what makes them the engine that drives this Jazz train.