Utah Jazz: Four questions that will define Jazz-Rockets series

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARCH 06: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz reacts to a call during the first half of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 06, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Will Mitchell assert himself as a superstar?

The only way for NBA players to take a major leap in terms of their stardom is for them to be granted a major opportunity. In last season’s playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Donovan Mitchell took that opportunity with all his might and projected himself onto the national stage as a bona fide budding star. Sure, he’d garnered attention for a spectacular rookie season before that, but it was his playoff performance that really moved him into the spotlight.

Now, in facing the Houston Rockets in the first round, Mitchell has a chance to take an even greater ascent – an ascent into the acclaimed ranks of superstar. If he can elevate his game yet again and lead his team to a victory over an elite Houston squad, he will solidify himself as one of the greats in the West.

And that’s almost certainly what it’s going to take for the Jazz to arise victorious. If Mitchell falls into inefficiency, poor decisions or costly mistakes, the Jazz simply won’t have the offensive firepower to keep pace with Harden and the Rockets. On the flip side, if he is able to instead thrive and shoulder a massive scoring load, he’ll likely be the catalyst to an incredible upset victory.

Several NBA fans, including those among the Jazz ranks, were discouraged and critical of Donovan’s start to the 2018-19 season. He was plagued with inefficiency and inconsistency to the level where many declared he was in a sophomore slump.

But he put all those foolish arguments to bed by being an absolute force in the latter half of the regular season. Since the All-Star break, Mitchell is putting up 26.7 points per game on 46.1 percent shooting from the field and 45.1 percent from deep. In the month of April, he was an even better 28.4 points per game, 45.9 percent from the field and a stunning 50 percent from the perimeter.

And I have a feeling that’s only a fraction of what he’s capable of. For the Jazz to arise victorious in this series, they’ll need all of that and likely more from Mitchell. Simply put, they’ll need him to be a superstar.

The question of whether he’s able to ascend to that level or not will likely hold the answer to the main question all Jazz fans are anxiously awaiting to have resolved – Can the Utah Jazz really upset the Houston Rockets? We’ll get our first glimpse into the answer in a few short hours.