In August, Bleacher Report came out with an article listing every NBA team’s “Mt. Rushmore” of the 21st century. The four best and most iconic players from each franchise.
Some were pretty straight-forward, like the Bulls’ having Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and Jimmy Butler. That was a no-brainer. But teams like the Lakers’ seemed to be more difficult for Bleacher Report, with Derek Fisher getting the nod over LeBron James.
The Jazz had one stark omission from the list, that caught everyone’s eye at first glance.
Where was Donovan Mitchell?
Utah Jazz v Phoenix Suns
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Who was on the Utah Jazz 21st Century Mt. Rushmore?
Rudy Gobert (2013-2022)
Deron Williams (2005-2011)
Carlos Boozer (2004-2010)
Andrei Kirilenko (2000-2011)
The most obvious pick of the four is Rudy Gobert. Had it not been for his development from a G-League prospect to a historically great defender, the Jazz’s 2010s rebuild would have panned out a lot differently. In nine seasons in Utah, Gobert won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, made three all-star teams — should’ve been five — and was a four-time all-NBA selection. He ended his career second in rebounds (7,119), third in blocks (1,357), 10th in points (7,592) and seventh in minutes played (18,301) in franchise history.
Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer also seem to be no-brainers for this list. They only made two all-star teams during their Utah tenures, which is kind of hard to believe, but both had a top-10 finish in MVP voting. They were the two best players on the only non-Stockton and Malone Jazz team to make a Western Conference Finals and were both on the 2008 Olympic gold medal winning “Redeem Team.” Williams is the second-best facilitator in franchise history and Boozer is the only player this century to average 20 points and 10 boards in a season, which he did twice.
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The last name on this list is one that will make you double take at first, but then makes more sense the further you dig into his basketball reference page.
Andrei Kirilenko
It is hard to remember, because his peak came so early in his Utah playing days, but at one point in time, Kirilenko was a dawg.
Kirilenko has 30% of this century’s “5x5” games, which is where a player records at least five points, five rebounds, five assists, five blocks and five steals. Kirilenko had three of those games in his career. No other player this century has more than one.
Kirilenko was an all-star in 2004, first-team all-defense in 2006 and led the league in blocks in 2005 (3.3). He has more blocks in Utah than the Stifle Tower does, and for a large part, people have forgotten.
Utah Jazz v San Antonio Spurs
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The second half of Kirilenko’s career didn’t remotely come close to touching the potential, or even a similar level of play, that his first few years in the league showed. If anything, he is more remembered for his all-timer of a nickname, “AK-47,” than for his defensive prowess in the 2000’s.
The clear first man out is Donovan Mitchell. Three all-stars, a signature shoe deal, the most famous 21st century Utah player by a landslide, the best highlight reel, slam dunk contest winner and owner of one of the most iconic rookie playoff performances of all-time (38 points in game six to close out OKC in 2018). Leaving him off of this list almost seems comical.
Yes, he only played in Utah for five years. No, he never made an all-NBA team. No, he famously never made it to the Western Conference Finals. But I don’t care. If you are making a list of the four faces of the franchise in the last 25 years, Donovan Mitchell is on that list.
Mitchell was the biggest Jazz star since Karl Malone, and it’s not close. He had the it factor from the moment he played in a Salt Lake City Summer League game against Jayson Tatum, picked his pocket, forced a foul and made Tatum fall on his back side on the next possession. He was probably the only Jazz all-star this century outside of Deron Williams that was “cool.” He made outsiders cheer for Utah, buy the obnoxious but beautiful sunset jerseys, and actually made the Jazz must-see TV.
Oklahoma City Thunder v Utah Jazz - Game Six
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Donovan Mitchell has to be on the Mt. Rushmore.
Who’s on the Mt. Rushmore second-team?
Donovan Mitchell (2017-2022)
For all the reasons I mentioned above. Mitchell was the face of one of the most successful eras in franchise history.
Gordon Hayward (2010-2017)
Hayward is similar to Mitchell, just not as good and not as cool and not as successful. His long development finally paid off in 2017, when he made his lone all-star team in a stacked western conference. There wasn’t anything that Hayward couldn’t do, but there was also nothing he could do at an elite level. Above average in almost every aspect of the game.
Mehmet Okur (2004-2011)
Mehmet Okur was one of two Jazz all-stars on that 2007 Western Conference Finals team. Over Deron Williams. Over Andrei Kirilenko. A player too early for his time, the big man shot over 34% from deep in five of his seven seasons for the Jazz.
Joe Ingles (2014-2022)
You could easily put Derrick Favors in this spot, but 20 years from now, who will people remember more: Slow-Mo Joe or Favors? The answer is obvious. Jinglin’ Joe is the franchise’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made, is No. 5 in assists and No. 6 in steals. Not bad for a kid from Adelaide.
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