The Utah Jazz have already received more mileage out of point guard Donovan Mitchell than what's expected out of any second-year player, but he has recently been utilized the same amount as the NBA's best with Ricky Rubio recently out of commission.
Usage rate for Donovan Mitchell in the 5 games since the Ricky Rubio injury is 32.8%. That number would rank him no. 2 in the NBA behind James Harden (38.8%). Overall for the season Mitchell is ranked no. 16 (29.6%).
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) January 19, 2019
Rubio has been sidelined since January 7, and it looks like another week is yet to come while he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. Other notable Utah guards have been dealing with issues as well — Dante Exum with a sprain to his left ankle, and Raul Neto with a strained groin.
Donovan Mitchell has risen to the occasion despite the backcourt absences. As of this writing, he is averaging 21.6 points in 33.1 minutes per game this season. He was also named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week last week, carrying 31.5 points and 5.8 assists over four games.
After an outstanding rookie campaign in 2017-18, the 22-year-old slasher has yet to noticeably slow down. If the past two weeks have been no indication, he's likely to retain the team's primary scoring role moving forward, regardless of Rubio or the remaining guards' status.
The Jazz improved their record to 26-21 Friday night, following a 115-99 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mitchell led the way once again with 24 points, followed by center Rudy Gobert's 19 points and 15 rebounds.
Follow Us
Subscribe