Utah Jazz: FIBA World Cup presents massive challenge, opportunity for Donovan Mitchell

Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has the chance to lead an undermanned Team USA to exceptional heights in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

On the eve of Team USA’s first contest in the FIBA World Cup, a group play battle against the Czech Republic, all eyes will be on starting shooting guard Donovan Mitchell. And, no, I don’t just mean all the eyes of Utah Jazz fans, though they certainly have the most at stake as they remain fixed on what he can do in international play, I mean the eyes of basketball fans everywhere.

The reasons for that being the case are many. First, Donovan Mitchell is a star primed for a breakout campaign in his third year of NBA action. He’s shown a lot in two years as a pro, but he’s only scraped the surface of his potential. Many believe year three could be where he truly takes off. His ability to do so will directly impact just how prolific his Jazz squad will be in 2019-20 and beyond.

But in the more immediate future, Donovan Mitchell may very well be the key to the success of Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. A team that saw a mass exodus of stars as big-name players either turned down invites or withdrew all throughout the process, it’s no secret that the red, white and blue squad looks more vulnerable than we’ve seen them in recent years. That was as evident as ever in a scrimmage against Australia where Team USA suffered defeat – their first such loss in international play in their last 78 matchups.

Frankly, Mitchell himself didn’t play so well in that contest. His defense, which had been rock solid in the previous bout, just wasn’t at the requisite level, as evidence by Patty Mills going off in a big way, and his shooting efficiency was once again questionable at best. Nevertheless, Mitchell has still been one of Team USA’s key contributors and figures to be among their most important players moving forward.

Which begs the question – will he be up to the task before him as the FIBA World Cup gets underway?

Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich certainly thinks so. According to a recent article from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Popovich has had nothing but praise for Mitchell, both as a player and, more importantly, as a leader. Said Popovich–

"“He has a propensity for leadership and that’s how I spent my time with him. I’m not going to teach him how to shoot better or jump better or dribble better. But he has the intelligence and the willingness to become a leader and I think that’d be great. Not just for our team but for his team.”"

The experience Mitchell is gaining from representing the United States in the FIBA World Cup is a major reason why his decision to remain on the roster and play will be so beneficial to him and his Utah Jazz team this upcoming season. Although some among the Utah faithful were hesitant about Mitchell participating due to concerns about potential injury or fatigue, I’m of the belief that the pros of him playing in the international tournament well outweigh the cons.

Not only is he getting experience competing with new teammates at a unique level as he represents his country, he’s getting to learn from some great basketball minds, most notably Coach Popovich. He’s getting accustomed to being a leader on a team full of greats, which will be invaluable once he returns back to the ranks of his Jazz squad.

And while on the floor, he’ll be a focal point for opposing teams and will be tasked with not only shouldering a scoring load for Team USA, but also getting his teammates involved and looking to make the right basketball play. Mitchell has received some justified criticism for his struggles to set up teammates in his first two seasons with the Jazz, so this chance to fine-tune that ability with Team USA will be significant.

As a whole, Donovan Mitchell faces both an enormous challenge as well as a tremendous opportunity with Team USA. Let’s face it, if the most elite American NBA players had remained with the team, Mitchell likely would have been a reserve on the squad at best. However, with so many players bowing out, Donovan was thrust quickly up the ladder.

That means that Team USA is far less talented and deep than usual – therein lies the challenge – but it also means that Mitchell has the chance to prove that he deserves a spot among the NBA’s elite as one of its newest rising stars. That is undoubtedly an amazing opportunity, one that could very well transform Mitchell’s career, his standing with the Jazz, and their ability to compete in a loaded Western Conference.

There will be no small amount of pressure on Mitchell, as a Team USA that has been highly scrutinized and that many are already doubting goes up against potentially some very talented international squads such as Serbia, Spain, France and Australia. But Donovan’s ability to rise above said pressure and further establish himself as a leader will not only be vital for taking Team USA to a FIBA World Cup Championship, but it will be an excellent preview to what lies ahead for him and his Jazz career.

Personally, I can’t wait to see him in action now that the exhibitions have past, the games matter now and he’ll be tasked with leading his team to victory. There’s no question that his Team USA teammates believe he’s up to the task as he’s been showered with compliments all throughout their time together. In the aforementioned Windhorst article, both Kemba Walker and Khris Middleton were quoted heaping praise upon the third-year star.

"“You wouldn’t think he’s the age he is, he’s ahead of his years,” Kemba Walker said. “He a natural-born leader. His skill set is unbelievable. He’s a great player but he knows he has so much room for improvement. He wants to work.”“He’s wise beyond his years I feel like,” said Khris Middleton, “He wants to elevate the players around him.”"

Mitchell will get that first chance to elevate his teammates on a meaningful stage as Middleton alluded to and lead Team USA to their first 2019 FIBA win on Sunday at 6:30 AM MT as they take on the Czech Republic in Group Play on ESPN+.