Utah Jazz: Making the case for Donovan Mitchell as a starter

Utah Jazz draftee Donovan Mitchell has shown promise, impressing with his play before even making his official NBA debut. He may even be on the short list of potential starting shooting guards.

Gordon Hayward left a glaring hole in the starting lineup when he ditched the Utah Jazz for the Boston Celtics. Utah was unable to fill the void by bringing in a quality starter, but rookie Donovan Mitchell could be ready to step into that role.

Unless something changes, through injury or otherwise, Joe Ingles will draw the start on opening night alongside Rodney Hood, Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert and newcomer Ricky Rubio. However, Ingles has shown that he is best-suited as a utility guy coming off the bench.

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Swiss journeyman Thabo Sefolosha also made his way to Salt Lake City this summer and could end up in the starting lineup if the Jazz elect to go all-out on the defensive end.

But Mitchell has something that neither Thabo or ‘Jingling Joe’ have, and he has it in spades — potential.

Mitchell showed out in the Utah Jazz Summer League and followed it up with an even better performance in the Las Vegas, posting a ginormous 37 points and eight steals in a single game. So there’s no doubting that Mitchell has talent, but is he worthy of a starting spot at this young stage of his career?

It’s my belief that withdrawing Ingles or Sefolosha from the starting unit in exchange for Mitchell will in no way impact their killer defensive DNA. Mitchell is an NBA-ready defender with animal-like instincts on D. If you don’t believe me, just ask Jayson Tatum of the Celtics.

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On the offensive end, regardless of who starts, the ball won’t often be in the hands of the starting player at that position. Utah will run the majority of their offense through Rubio and Hood in the pick and roll with Gobert and Favors, Joe Johnson will get his share of touches in isolation and the offense will hopefully feature a healthy Favors posting up down low.

Mitchell’s purpose on the court if he were to start at shooting guard would be to defend the second-best opposing guard, make his open shots, make the right reads on offense and be a willing passer. I think that he’s perfectly capable of doing that right now.

GREENBURGH, NY – AUGUST 11: 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. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

The biggest reason for Mitchell to start would be for him to get used to playing with the starters and for the Jazz to see how he blends in. As for the 2018-19 season, the Jazz brass may envision Mitchell as a starter alongside Hood. Since that could take some time to get used to, with Hood having to change positions and all, why not get it started early.

It’s not like the hardened NBA schedule will change the toll it takes on Mitchell’s body because he still wouldn’t play more than 24 minutes a night. He has a lot of potential to grow at both ends of the floor and he showed during summer league play that he’s an NBA-ready competitor.

So, if the Jazz can’t really do much to further their chances of winning a championship this upcoming season, one of the goals should be to give Mitchell the best possible chance to develop. And starting would push that along more than anything else.

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I’m not expecting Mitchell to start right away as the season tips off, but I think it’s a real possibility as we get towards the All-Star break. Regardless of whether he starts or not, Mitchell has plenty of promise and it will be fun to watch him as his career gets underway.

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