3 studs and 1 dud from much-needed Utah Jazz win over Nuggets

Utah Jazz stud: Donovan Mitchell

To paraphrase Machiavelli, rumors about the demise of the relationship between Mitchell and Rudy Gobert may have been greatly exaggerated.

There’s a yin-and-yang duality in their dynamic that can’t be denied. Gobert is the hub of the defense, and Mitchell is the engine of the offense. Last night, that dynamic was on full display.

Mitchell finished this contest with 31 points on 11/24 shooting from the field and 4/12 shooting from downtown. It wasn’t the most efficient night of the young guard’s career, but his aggressiveness fueled the team’s offense.

He added a well-rounded statline as well with 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Much has been made the young star’s defense of late. Mitchell regularly puts forward a spirited effort on that end of the floor. At 6’1, his diminutive stature sometimes keeps him from making the impact he’d likely prefer to on a nightly basis.

Last night, that effort paid dividends. Mitchell didn’t just force 2 steals. He hounded players like Facu Campazzo and Bones Hyland into difficult shots on a regular basis. On the other end, Mitchell’s aggressiveness fueled the Jazz.

He struck his usual balance of involving teammates and calling his own number. His overall efficiency was offset by a subpar night from downtown, but he was able to knife his way into the paint at will. That created space for the other Jazzmen to operate.

They took advantage. The team shot 52.4% from the field. Obviously that’s not entirely due to Mitchell’s performance, but as the best and most assertive offensive player on this team, he deserves the lion’s share of it.

After all, he receives more than his share of the blame when things go wrong for this Utah Jazz club.