Utah Jazz: 5 goals for Donovan Mitchell’s rookie season
By Adam Coffman
3. Execute a scheme
The Jazz play in one of the NBA’s more deliberate systems on both ends of the court, funneling opponents into midrange jumpers on defense and maintaining one of the slowest paces in the league on offense.
This can make it difficult for any newcomer to pick up their duties and rotations quickly, let alone a rookie with only two years of experience past high school.
The Ringer mentioned his “unrefined fundamentals” on the defensive end in his draft profile, something the Jazz will need to coach him up on as he adapts to the next level.
Mitchell’s athleticism makes him a weapon on defense, but he’ll need a little refinement to become a consistent contributor on that end. Still though, his raw aggressiveness and nose for the ball shines through in his ability to jump passing lanes and wrestle 50-50 loose balls from the opposition.
On offense, few players are used to the Jazz’s slowed-down, deliberate stylings. Mitchell has traditionally been more freewheeling, so reining him in while still recouping his raw power will be a major point of emphasis for coach Quin Snyder and his staff.
Most of this learning process will ideally take place during training camp, as fans should hope Mitchell is ready for action when the regular season tips off.