Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell gives All-Star effort in season opener

Thanks in large part to the big-time play of Donovan Mitchell, the Utah Jazz dropped CP3 and the Oklahoma City Thunder in their season opener.

The Utah Jazz finally tipped off what is arguably their most anticipated campaign since Deron Williams had just led the team to the Western Conference Finals in 2007. And on the same day that NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the All-Star Game would be returning to Salt Lake City in 2023, Donovan Mitchell jump-started his own All-Star campaign for 2020.

He and the Jazz band began the season on a winning note, dropping Chris Paul and the Oklahoma City Thunder 100-95 at Vivint Smart Home Arena on Wednesday.

Questions about Utah’s defense abounded after it had surrendered nearly 121 points per 100 possessions over its last four preseason games. Against OKC, however, the Wasatch Front was much improved against an offensively capable club. It wasn’t perfect, mind you, but the effort was there from the jump.

Curiously, after loading the coffers with shooters this past summer, it was the Jazz’s ability to put the ball in the basket that was lacking for much of the game.

In his big debut with the club, star point-man Mike Conley registered what was probably the worst shooting performance of his career. Conley missed his first 12 shot attempts from various spots on the court and was 1-of-16 from the floor by night’s end.

As a team, the Jazz shot a pedestrian 44 percent from the field and knocked down just six of their 24 attempts from distance.

Despite the tight rims, though, Mitchell wasn’t about to let his team lose. In a game that featured a lot of really good players, he was the best player on the hardwood all night long.

https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/1187221653391958016

The third-year guard scored 32 points against OKC and — more importantly — he did so efficiently on 22 field goal attempts. But it wasn’t just his ability to break down the Thunder defense off the dribble that paved the way for the Jazz win. Mitchell also gave an unprecedented effort on the glass.

Mitchell grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds on the night, five of which came on the offensive side (and three of those came during a key possession in the final carom). For a Jazz squad that is suddenly lean in the size department, the ability of wing and backcourt players to come in and board will be key as the season progresses.

So, too, will Mitchell’s continued progression as the go-to guy in Quin Snyder’s offense. And with a quality, non-rehab summer spent working on his game and balling with Team USA behind him and more weapons spacing the floor for the Jazz, he looks primed to repeat on Wednesdays performance time and time again.

Don’t get me wrong, Mitchell has looked like an All-Star for some time. The strangely accepted idea that he had a sophomore slump when he put up 27-5-5 on shooting splits of 45-42-81 over his last 43 games is a little silly. That’s not exactly a small sample size.

But you get the impression that Mitchell won’t leave any doubts about his place among the league’s elite this season.

Against the Thunder, Mitchell did what big-time players do. He performed when some of his teammates couldn’t and he made the plays that needed to be made when the game was on the line.

“We didn’t shoot the ball, obviously, very well. A couple of us had a rough night,” Conley said after the game. “Donovan really came through in the end, offensively and defensively.”

I don’t know about you guys, but that sounds like an All-Star to me.