The Utah Jazz will not have Donovan Mitchell on the floor for Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night.

The news might not be shocking, since Mitchell has missed several weeks with the ankle injury which made the regular season a much bigger chore for the Jazz compared to when “Spida” was healthy. Nevertheless, the development still rates as big news, given that the Utah organization doesn't yet feel safe in playing him.

The realistic and measured view of this situation is that the Jazz's supporting cast need to buckle down against the hungry and confident Grizzlies, who just eliminated Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors from the postseason and are riding high as they head into Salt Lake City. A dangerous team playing with house money against an opponent which is missing its best player could become complicated for the top seed in the West.

At the very least, the Jazz need to get through the first four games of this series no worse than 2-2. If Mitchell can't play the first three or four games of this series, he could come back in Game 5 and presumably give Utah the push it needs to advance.

In a more ideal scenario, Utah will handle the Grizzlies in five games, get rest for the second round, and Mitchell can come back fully healthy (or very close to it) for Game 1 against the Mavericks or the Clippers.

The Jazz are surely noticing that the Los Angeles Lakers — the favorite to win the West if sufficiently healthy — are trailing the Phoenix Suns by 15 points early in the fourth quarter of Game 1 on Sunday. The Lakers might be the best team on paper, but the larger combination of injuries, attrition, and rhythm is such a mystery in this weird pandemic season with an unusual schedule. Nothing can be taken for granted.

The Jazz, without Donovan Mitchell for Game 1 of their postseason run, surely know this and have to find ways around any obstacles which might emerge. It's hard to imagine a bigger obstacle than taking the court in the playoffs without a superstar.

Stay with ClutchPoints for more on this developing story with the Jazz.