Utah Jazz: 5 target players to pair with Donovan Mitchell
By Caleb Manser
Josh Richardson
The Philadelphia 76ers had an eerily similar season to the Utah Jazz before the COVID-19 hiatus halted us in our tracks. They were disappointing plenty of times, and showed major flaws to their team that was supposed to be a contender.
They do not have enough outside shooting to compete with the best of the league, and letting go of JJ Redick and Jimmy Butler really came back to bite them in the butt.
But their saving grace this year was Josh Richardson, probably the most balanced and modern player on the roster. He can 3-and-D with the best of them.
His 3-point shooting percentage was only 32 percent this season, but upon closer evaluation, he shoots much better when given wide open looks.
This season in Philadelphia, he shot 38 percent from the left corner three, 33 percent above the break, and 60 percent in the restricted area. The skeleton is already in place for a smart, savvy 3-and-D player to breakout.
About 48 percent of his makes have been assisted in Philadelphia, whereas in Miami for the 2018-19 season he had 60 percent of his made shots assisted (according to NBA.com).
Plug him in an offensive system like Quin Snyder’s, one that is designed to create open looks, and good things will happen. The skills and talent are already in place, he could just use a better supporting cast to maximize his talents, and Utah would be the perfect place for him.
Just like all of these names on this article, this would give Mitchell the full keys to the Jazz offense. It would be on him to create looks for Rudy Gobert, and dime passes to his teammates when the spot up or cut to the basket.
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Having two scorers/playmakers on the floor with Donovan and Bojan, as well as two 3-and-D guys in Richardson and Royce O’Neale, with Gobert in the middle, that would be a well-balanced and dangerous lineup to beat.
Mix in Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles off the bench, and there are several dangerous combinations Quin Snyder can throw at opponents. It’s all contingent on Donovan Mitchell’s ability to develop his point guard skills, which he’s shown flashes of in his three year career.