Utah Jazz: 3 Ways Donovan Mitchell Must Improve in 2018-19

Donovan Mitchell, Trevor Ariza, Utah Jazz, NBA
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Trust the Mid-Range Game More

The three-point shot is a must-have for NBA guards with Mitchell’s usage. He shot 34.0 percent overall on his seven three attempts per game. That percentage based on volume is fair, but it was the kind of looks that were at times an issue. Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes broke down how Mitchell launched a million contested pull-up threes in a very inefficient manner.

“Mitchell struggled in that regard, hitting only 29.3 percent of them. Of the 16 players who took at least 200 pull-up threes, Mitchell converted at a higher rate than Russell Westbrook. And that’s it.”

Not all guards are Stephen Curry or Damian Lillard. Mitchell is a gifted shooter with a 6’10” wingspan, and a ridiculous 40.5″ vertical leap, per Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago. With those measurables coupled with his smooth hop shooting stroke, he needs to take advantage inside the arc, too. Mitchell can knock down shots curling around dribble handoffs at a higher clip as he gains more chemistry with Gobert, and that will make him even harder to guard if he doesn’t settle.

Settling for threes bails out less physical players, and negates Mitchell’s change of speed ability. In addition, Mitchell gets enough assisted three-point shots as it is. Against opposing rim protectors such as Steven Adams or Clint Capela, taking floaters or mid-range stepbacks is a smart move. This kind of shot is nice to have in his bag to keep defenders guessing.

Along with that, if Mitchell uses a postup fadeaway more often to utilize his length, he’ll live at the foul line. With the space he gets off a live dribble, he’d be even tougher to guard.

All in all, the guy is special. If he takes these tips into account, the Utah Jazz will be in an even better spot for years.

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