Here’s where we willingly throw away the advanced metrics: we already know Donovan Mitchell is the most important player on the Utah Jazz.
That’s the weight a player carries with a team-leading 26.4 points per game. As valuable as Gobert’s rim protection, Conley Jr.’s IQ, Ingles’ versatility and Bogdanovic’s floor-spacing are to this squad, the game, as they say, is ultimately about a bucket.
There’s not a player on this roster Quin Snyder is more likely to turn to in pursuit of one. Furthermore, Mitchell isn’t just the player whose most important to the Jazz’s present, he’s also the most important player to their future.
At 25, Mitchell’s development has been ahead of schedule since he averaged 20.5 points per game as a rookie. He’s been the most significant part of this Utah Jazz offensive attack ever since. Mitchell uses his athletic gifts in tandem with a series of shifty, evasive maneuvers to get to the rim and finish at will. Furthermore, he’s a consistently efficient three-point shooter as well, shooting 38.6% on 8.7 attempts per game last season.
His ability to score from any part of the floor makes him the focal point of every opposing team’s scouting report. That makes him a unique challenge when flanked by the kind of supporting cast we’ve already highlighted in this article.
The depth of this Utah Jazz team makes them a challenging proposition for any opposing defense. It’s notable that in this ranking of the five most important players on the roster, we did not include reigning Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson, or 3-and-D glue guy Royce O’Neale. Quin Snyder’s top 7 players should be the envy of teams across the National Basketball Association.