Utah Jazz: 5 goals for Donovan Mitchell’s rookie season
By Adam Coffman
2. Find a position
At 6’3″ and a solid 210 pounds, Mitchell has the frame and athletic capability to play both guard spots at an NBA level. However, he doesn’t have the specific skills to specialize in either position at the moment.
Playing in an offense that spreads out the facilitating duties means that Mitchell or any other Jazz guard won’t need to take on the role of a full time distributor, although Ricky Rubio should certainly be expected to dominate the ball more than George Hill ever did.
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Still, Rubio’s two-year contract means that Mitchell shouldn’t completely forgo refining his point guard sills, such as running a pick-and-roll.
The direction the Jazz push Mitchell’s development if they so choose likely depends on their roster makeup over the next few seasons.
If Dante Exum proves himself to be a longer-term option, Mitchell will likely be playing more off-ball in the place of Alec Burks or others. However, if Rubio leaves in free agency and Utah loses confidence in Exum, Mitchell could be shaped into a lead guard.
In fact, rather than focusing on just one position, Mitchell may be better suited to improving both aspects of his game and maintaining his versatility, as he’ll most likely be coming off the bench in both spots for at least the first few years of his career.