Staff Post: Reacting to Mitchell’s 57, Utah’s G1 Loss and More

Mitchell dazzled with a historic 57-point performance, but the Jazz fell short in overtime. (via NBA.com)

The 2020 NBA Playoffs are underway, and the Jazz got off to a memorable start. Their playoff debut featured a historic individual performance, as All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell poured in 57 points, the most by an NBA player in the postseason since Michael Jordan’s 63 in 1986, and the third most ever.

Joe Ingles added 19 points, five rebounds and six assists, while Rudy Gobert scored 17 and Jordan Clarkson added 18 off the bench.

Unfortunately for Utah, the game also ended with a heartbreaking overtime decision. The Jazz, up four with under two minutes to play in regulation, allowed Denver to take the lead. Eventually they’d knot things up to force the extra period, but the Nuggets then surged behind Jamal Murray, who scored or assisted asll six overtime baskets for Denver.

A group of Salt City Hoops writers came together to react to Donovan’s memorable performance, the Jazz’s Game 1 loss, and what lies ahead.

1. Donovan Mitchell. That’s it, that’s the question. React accordingly.

David J. Smith: What a superstar performance. After a slow start, Mitchell was simply dominant. The way he scored could not have been scripted better: he hit from the perimeter, he slashed and finished and he got to the free throw line 13 times. But beyond the 57 points, his seven assists and nine rebounds show how dialed-in he was. It was a performance never to be forgotten… even in a difficult loss.

Thatcher Olson: Amazing. What impressed me most was his ability to score efficiently, get to the basket at will, and draw fouls like crazy. He’s never been a guy who draws a lot of fouls, but if he can take that next step in his games, particularly in the playoffs, that’s the true next leap. Denver wasn’t able to stop him, and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come for the rest of the series.

Mark Russell Pereira: Most of Donovan’s field goal attempts were great looks, indicating growth from a scorer who has recently favored contested mid-range shots a bit too much. The team screened well and manipulated the defense to give him those looks, which bodes well for the series. Mitchell also opened a big bag of tricks to grab 13 free throw attempts, and tied a career high by making all 13. That part of his offense is critical for his development in the macro sense, but in this series specifically, it’s a great way to neutralize Denver’s only healthy plus defender in Torrey Craig, who fouled out in regulation.

It has to be mentioned: Mitchell’s 8-second backcourt violation while up four with 1:46 to go is one of the biggest boners I’ve ever seen by any player from any team in the playoffs, and that’s not recency bias speaking. Donovan’s always been lackadaisical in walking the ball up at the end of games, and has been whistled for the same violation before. Hopefully this high-profile error nips this issue for good. 

Cole Bagley: Mitchell is just different. When he truly locks in there is nothing that he can’t do out on the court. His historic 57-point game included six three-pointers, 13 (of 13) free throws, step back jumpers, and acrobatic finishes at the rim. What a lot of people don’t realize is that this third-year-player already possesses the special ability to completely take over and carry a team offensively, which is absolutely critical when attempting to contend for a championship.

Steve Godfrey: Here’s a personal anecdote. I have been fortunate to work a few Jazz games as a back-up’s back-up sports writer for the Deseret News. My first time in the locker room, I had to break the professional mode and whispered to Donovan that I was a big fan and love watching him play. He gave me a fist bump. It goes without saying that tonight’s majestic performance was evidence for my statement: he is a joy to watch and it causes me joy that he wears a Jazz jersey on his chest. I wish I could give him a fist bump for tonight.

Clark Schmutz:  Wow. What can you say. That was an all-time legendary performance that will get mentioned for decades in the annals of NBA basketball. Such a shame it didn’t come with a win.

2. Despite Mitchell’s heroics, Utah came up short in overtime. What’s the biggest thing they need to address before Game 2?

David: Fatigue was a key issue down the stretch and in the overtime. Missing two starters is difficult. Not only do you miss their production, but guys are forced to play a seat or two up. While some of the role players did some good things, it would have been nice if Utah’s front liners could have rested a few more minutes each. Emmanuel Mudiay’s stretch was particularly difficult, as he is a veteran who had played well prior to the bubble but has struggled mightily in Orlando. He should be a veteran Utah could count on, but Monday was tough for him.

Thatcher: They need to stop the Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray two-man game. Those two took over the fourth quarter and overtime, particularly Murray with his shot making. They need to do something to slow down Murray because Ingles wasn’t able to slow him enough. Quin Snyder will need to make proper adjustments for the two Denver star players.

Mark: There is no glaring macro issue that needs reworking, but the defense of the Murray-Jokic pick-and-roll could use some attention. Denver figured out a simple plan that they’ll be wise to return to in Game 2. It was disappointing to see the same thing work over and over for Denver down the stretch: Jokic slammed a tired, slower Joe Ingles on a screen, Rudy Gobert dropped coverage, and Murray was left wide open to pick how he would carve up Utah.

Mixing up the defense–even if just for a possession or two, would have at least forced something different than a wide open Murray look. Royce O’Neale is a little quicker and able to fight through Jokic screens than Ingles (O’Neale had 5 fouls but I can’t possibly accept that as a reason he wasn’t involved in the action, if O’Neale is ostensibly Utah’s best defender). Gobert has massively improved his perimeter defense, and accordingly should be empowered to pressure the ballhandler on a switch if Murray’s defender dies on a screen. I know Utah hates doing the latter, especially with unintuitive defenders on the floor (Clarkson), but the alternative was Murray waltzing into easy looks. There has to be a better way.

Cole: The biggest thing that the Jazz need to address before game two is the attention to detail. During the course of a game, what seems like small and insignificant actions, can end up having a huge impact on the end result. For instance, the eight second violation against Mitchell with 1:46 left in the fourth quarter, the early technical fouls by Jordan Clarkson and Quin Snyder, Georges Niang missing three wide open three-pointers in one offensive possession, and another offensive set where Mudiay and Tony Bradley combined for three chances close to the rim but came up empty.

Steve: Confident my colleagues will address perimeter defense, another issue was with the Niang-Mudiay-Bradley combination that did not work. At all. In their eight minutes together, they had a 93.8 offensive rating. The Jazz are thin, we get it, but they need something from the role players outside of Clarkson’s scoring. A lot of good things happened with Juwan Morgan (see this tweet, this tweet, this tweet, or this tweet) and Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune wonders if he should get the backup center minutes. A lot of buzz surrounded the other young players during the bubble tank, should they be on Quin’s radar? 

Clark: I don’t know if there is even a correct solution, but the Jazz need to find 240 minutes of quality playoff basketball. By necessity they are playing guys who have no business playing meaningful playoff minutes and I’d expect some end-of-rotation tinkering to see what they can do.

3. What’s something you didn’t expect to worry about before this game, but now you’re worried about?

David: It’s not a major worry, but O’Neale was not as aggressive as was his first several outings in Orlando. With a team missing some potent firepower, his offense is more needed than usual. As he is apt to do, the unselfish O’Neale passed on some shots. He can get to the basket, something that might really help Mitchell, Gobert and company. The Jazz need him to be a little more selfish with his shot.

Thatcher: The Jazz’s three-point disparity of playoffs past was a nightmare we’d seen the last of. However, the Jazz shot below their season average (34% to 38%) while Denver shot well above their average (54% to 36%). That may be an outlier, but the Jazz must shoot more like their season average and recent bubble play to have a chance. Denver must not continue to outshoot them by a wide margin.

Mark: None of Utah’s issues or Denver’s strengths in Game 1 were surprising to me. So I’ll reverse the question into a positive, and talk about something that I was concerned about before the series that may not be as big of a problem as I feared: Without Will Barton and Gary Harris, Denver’s bench isn’t as scary as I anticipated against Utah’s depleted core. Monte Morris provided his typically solid backup guard play, but Mason Plumlee and P.J. Dozier weren’t wildly effective and don’t prognosticate to be. Jerami Grant was very good, offsetting starter Paul Millsap’s slow struggles. If Utah can avoid getting blown out when Mudiay (+1 in 10 minutes), Niang (+3 in 20 minutes), and Bradley (-3 in 11 minutes) are on the floor, then it has a real chance, even without Mike Conley.

Cole: The Jazz were incredibly strategic during the eight games leading up to the playoffs, doing everything they could to avoid a first round matchup with the Houston Rockets. The Jazz struggle to defend the three-ball, which is why a matchup with the Denver Nuggets seemed much more favorable, as they only attempted 30 three-pointers a game compared to Houston’s 45 a game. Against the Jazz, the Nuggets shot 41 three-pointers and hit 22 of them (53.7%). The Jazz have got to do a better job defending the three-point line and force the Nuggets to go inside.

Steve: How awkward is it that soon after a competitive playoff basketball game, Jamal Murray can walk outside and see his rival, who just put up 57 points, and can smile and joke about that rival’s performance? Monte Morris said that Utah’s bubble meal room is right across from Denver’s. Can they eavesdrop during film sessions? Do Murray and Mitchell livestream on Instagram together? Are Gobert and Jokic locked in an off-court Call of Duty battle? I don’t know, call me old-school but the bro-atmosphere of the bubble, and the close proximity of the teams, makes for some interesting subplot drama that I hadn’t considered until I saw Murray’s video.

Clark: My ticker giving out. The Jazz could roll out four high-schoolers on the end of the bench and these games would still be nail biters. This has potential to be an all-time great first round series.

4. What’s something the Jazz did well and can build on — other than their leading scorer becoming superhuman?

David: Morgan was very impressive. While his stat line won’t make headlines, the rookie big acquitted himself very well in his postseason debut. Morgan is a smart player who seems to be in the right place most of the game. He has several defensive stops that spoke to his effort, smarts and versatility. He plays within himself and within the team’s schemes. Morgan was not afraid of the moment and got into physically with his Denver counterparts. The Jazz may very well have discovered another diamond in the rough.

Thatcher: While Morgan wasn’t a world beater, the rookie held his own in his first start. He played solid defense, crashed the boards, and was willing to shoot the three pointer. He looked much better than expected, defended Milsap well, and was a team-high +15.

Mark: I loved two team-level things Utah accomplished in Game 1: They bombed away 47 threes, and can be expected to nail them at a higher clip than the 16 they connected on. Denver left open a ton of shooters—including Niang on three straight corner shots on a single possession (all missed). Second, every player had authority to abuse Michael Porter Jr. off the dribble, to the point where MPJ was played off the floor in crunch time. He doesn’t have the defensive chops quite yet, and if Utah keeps the same defensive pressure on him on the other end, that’s a huge matchup advantage for the Jazz. Meanwhile, Morgan doesn’t have the skills to raise the floor of bench lineups, but he also doesn’t commit mistakes that lower the ceiling for starter-level lineups. He’s a great, low-variance fit for the Jazz starters with Conley out.

Cole: The Jazz were fantastic on the boards as they outrebounded Denver 52-41 including 16 offensive rebounds. Usually the team that dominates the boards is able to win the game, but the Jazz struggled to make the most of their second chances as half or more of those didn’t result in second chance points. This is something the Jazz can look to build on in game two and potentially help them even the series.

Steve: Rebounding. The Nuggets are big with Paul Milsap, Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter, Jr, Mason Plumlee, and Jerami Grant all 6-foot08 or bigger, yet it was Mitchell (9) or O’Neale (7) or Morgan (7) who were grabbing all those balls. As a team, Utah grabbed 52 boards, compared to Denver’s 41. Better still, the Jazz got 16 offensive boards, while limiting Denver to eight. It’s clear rebounding was a part of the game plan from Snyder, and the Jazz executed that portion of basketball to near perfection.

Clark:  I liked the makeshift starting five and the solid play of Morgan. If they can get one more bench guy to surprise with his play, they can win this series.

5. Did this game cause you to revise your prediction for the series?

David: Not too much. I felt this series had the potential to go seven and overtime in the opener does not change that. To be honest, I thought Denver would take game one and Utah, game two. The Nuggets showed their depth and execution in the extra five minutes, but Utah also showed great heart. Snyder will make some adjustments and I think Utah responds with a strong Game 2 performance. I still think this series goes long, even with both squads missing some key contributors.

Thatcher: No. I still think that if Conely gets back by Game 4 with the Jazz down 2-1 at most, the Jazz have a shot at winning in seven games. What they showed today was encouraging, and I think they can win one of the next two games and be in decent shape to make it a series.

Mark: Yes. I originally predicted Nuggets in 5, because I figured the Jazz would lose every game they didn’t have Conley. I think Utah might steal one more, after the encouraging performance in Game 1. Nuggets in 6.

Cole: Before the series began I expected the Jazz to be bested by the Nuggets in five or six games. After today, the Jazz might be able to stretch that to six or seven despite being without Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley. While it’s unlikely that Mitchell will have another historic, superhuman game, it’s also very unlikely that the Nuggets will shoot 54% from deep (20% more than the Jazz) and that Murray will score 36 points on 65% shooting. These teams are closer than I originally thought and this series should go six or seven.

Steve: On any given night, all you want from your team is to see fight. When you are down two starters, have no home court advantage, and are the lower seed and the underdog, it fills the soul with immense pride to see the team truly fight. During the regular season, the Jazz lost to Denver by six and then three. In the bubble, there was the epic double-overtime game where the Jazz fell by two. Tonight was more epic, where the teams were locked and battling for four solid quarters. You can twist those facts the other way, but I just want to believe that the Jazz are right there, even without Bojan Bogdanovic. Jazz in 7.

Clark: No. After the Conley news, I had the Nuggets in seven games, with five or six games going down to the wire. I still think that’s a good prediction.

Much more to come from Salt City Hoops as this series continues.