The case for Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell
If you believe that Donovan Mitchell is the most important player on the Utah Jazz, there’s a pretty good chance you’re not a huge fan of advanced metrics.
There is a case to be made. Now in his fifth season, Mitchell has led the Jazz in scoring in every season since his 2017-18 rookie year. The 2021-22 season so far is no exception, as Mitchell’s 24.9 points per game comfortably pace the Jazz.
As detractors of metrics are often quick to remind you, the game is about a bucket. While the Jazz have done an admirable job of surrounding Mitchell with tertiary offensive options, nobody else on this roster is talented enough to lead a contending NBA team in scoring.
Rudy Gobert does a remarkable job of raising this team’s ceiling, but without a primary offensive option, any NBA team’s floor lands somewhere at the bottom of a bottomless pit.
It’s a convincing argument, but it’s one that we’ll ultimately reject. Advanced metrics are often designed to measure a player’s impact on their team’s success. Sometimes, they can be noisey, but when they’re all pointing in the same direction, they’re usually worth following.
There are simply too many numbers that tell us Rudy Gobert is the most important player on the Utah Jazz for us to accept otherwise
Verdict: Rudy Gobert
The question of who the most important player on the Utah Jazz is may boil down to a philosophical dispute. If you believe that scoring trumps all, you’ll be forced to select Mitchell. If you believe in the validity of several advanced metrics, on the other hand, the answer has to be Rudy Gobert.