The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: Top 3 reasons to look forward to 2017-18

By Jared Woodcox

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: Rudy Gobert (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 9: Rudy Gobert (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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GREENBURGH, NY – AUGUST 11: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally altered) Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz poses for a portrait during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
GREENBURGH, NY – AUGUST 11: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally altered) Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz poses for a portrait during the 2017 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at MSG Training Center on August 11, 2017 in Greenburgh, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Donovan Mitchell

He may be a single player, but Donovan Mitchell showed enough during his Summer League play that Utah Jazz fans should be really, really excited to see what he can do. Obviously, he still has a lot to prove and may not even see the floor a ton initially, but Mitchell has all the appearance of a breakout star, and following his beginnings to see what he can eventually become will be one of the highlights of 2017-18.

Mitchell was the leading scorer in the Las Vegas Summer League (albeit in only two appearances) and was phenomenal on defense as he logged an eight-steal game against a Memphis Grizzlies team that boasted a handful of NBA-caliber players. His ability to make a significant impact on both ends of the floor could mean that there are big things in store for him, especially in a league where two-way players are such a commodity.

Fair or not, he set pretty high expectations for himself during Summer League, and the amount of hype surrounding him thanks to not only his play on the court, but the way he has perfectly won over Jazz fans, may put some amount of pressure on him.

Nevertheless, he seems more than ready to rise to that challenge, and getting a glimpse of just what he’ll mean to this Jazz team both this year and in years down the road is one of the facets of 2017-18 that I’m most looking forward to. Mitchell has quickly developed into a fan favorite off the court and hopefully he can replicate that sentiment on the hardwood with solid play at the NBA level.

Next: Three-Point Threat Episode 10: Lineups, Utah Jazz Schedule, Breakout Players

If any of you readers out there were feeling less than optimistic about the upcoming Utah Jazz season, I hope these three aspects help sway you in the other direction. The Jazz will certainly be a different team next year, but that doesn’t mean by any means that they’ll be a bad team.

And regardless of what the season’s final outcome ends up being, there are still plenty of intriguing story lines to follow that should set the Jazz up for a bright and exciting future for years to come.

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