The Utah Jazz ended the regular season with the top record in the NBA and headed into the playoffs with a ton of momentum and hype. With Game 1 set to take place, they were hit with tough news regarding their star player. Donovan Mitchell was ruled out of Game 1 vs the Memphis Grizzlies as he continues to rehab the injured ankle that has kept him sidelined since April 16.
However, it appears that Mitchell wasn't pleased with the decision to be held out at the start of the playoffs, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Quin Snyder says Jazz medical staff met with Donovan Mitchell after shootaround and decided to hold him out of Game 1. He acknowledged that Mitchell, who declared himself “ready to go” when he talked to media post-shootaround, isn’t pleased with the decision.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 23, 2021
Mitchell must be itching to get back on the court after sitting out for over a month. After all, Mitchell was named a Western Conference All-Star after averaging a career-high 26.4 points per game as the Jazz topped 50 wins on the campaign.
Ja Morant and the Grizzlies just came off two wins in the play-in tournament to earn the 8-seed in the Western Conference bracket. Friday's game against the Golden State Warriors went into overtime as the Grizz did just enough to grab the spot and a first-round matchup with the Jazz.
The Jazz are set to embark with a home-court advantage across the entirety of the playoffs, which is huge news and a huge advantage for a team that plays as sound as they do. Rudy Gobert is a finalist for Defensive Player of the year, and both Jordan Clarkson and Joe Ingles were nominated as finalists for Sixth Man of the Year.
All in all, the return of Mitchell should have Jazz fans excited as they hope to make a run to the NBA Finals.
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