Can Donovan Mitchell contribute right away?
Over the summer the Jazz made a surprising draft day trade by swapping their 2017 first round pick and Trey Lyles, for Louisville sophomore Donovan Mitchell.
Thank you Dennis Lindsey.
During Summer League play and now through the preseason, Mitchell has looked like a star in the making. He is an explosive athlete who can score in a variety of ways, and a tenacious defender who is capable of guarding three positions. In the upcoming years, Mitchell may be viewed as the steal of the draft.
As is the case with most rookies though, we weren’t sure how big a role he would be given as a first year player. Now that the preseason has come to a close, Mitchell has shown that he will be impossible to keep off the floor, and he could have a larger role than we all expected.
When I called Donovan Mitchell’s games in @NBASummerLeague and said he’s a Top 5 rookie, folks said “it’s only summer league”...what are they going to say now
— MarkJonesESPN (@MarkJonesESPN) October 11, 2017
Mitchell isn’t like most lottery picks in today’s NBA. He is not a wiry 19 year old who can’t physically handle being in the league. He is 21 years old, and is built like a tank at 210 pounds. The ability to transition to the NBA and handle the speed and level of physicality should be much easier for Mitchell than other rookies.
So far, that has proven true, as he averaged 15.5 points during the preseason in roughly 25 minutes a game. There have been stretches where Mitchell has looked like the best player on the court. During the final preseason game against the L.A. Lakers, he scored 26 points, to go along with five rebounds, three assists, and a steal. The only better player on the court was Rudy Gobert, which is excellent company to be in.
The Dante Exum injury was a devastating blow to the Jazz, and honestly, it was not fair to Dante Exum. He has worked incredibly hard this off-season to improve his game, and because of a fluke accident, he is likely out for all or most of the season.
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The only silver lining with the injury to Exum, is it opens up more of an opportunity for Mitchell to explore the full range of his abilities. He will have a positive impact right away as the primary backup guard, and should average close to 25 minutes a game. I expect him to be one of the rare rookies who finishes as a plus defender, and with his ability to create his own shot, he should finish around 12-14 points per game.