Despite coronavirus diagnosis, Donovan Mitchell could have his best postseason yet

Donovan Mitchell primed for best playoff performance.

A lot still has to happen until Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz resume play and finish out the remainder of the 2019-20 season.

When it does happen, however, Mitchell could be in line for his best playoff performance yet.

The 2018 NBA Slam Dunk champion and 2020 All-Star selection was amid his best season yet when then the NBA season was halted 63 games into Utah’s 2020 playoff push. Right at the start of the Jazz’s March 11th match-up in Oklahoma City, the game was halted after Utah Center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Jazz players and staff had to remain quarantined in Oklahoma City while being administered tests and monitored for symptoms. Hours later, news broke that Mitchell tested positive for the virus as well.

Related: Three potential trade destinations for Donovan Mitchell

For a while, the Jazz organization was in dire straights, and rumors circulated that there was tension between Gobert and Mitchell after the two All-Stars were in close proximity with each other in the days leading up to their positive tests. However, recent reports from within the Jazz organization have indicated that Mitchell and Gobert have made amends.

Now, the Jazz await official word from the NBA on when the remainder of the season will proceed, and how teams will proceed.

As of now, NBA owners have reportedly voted on a 20 or 22-team playoffs play-in scenario where the best teams will compete in a handful of regular-season games to determine the final postseason seeding before playing the entirety of the playoffs in Orlando, Florida beginning July 31st.

If that is the case, regardless of the scenarios that play out, Mitchell and the Jazz are going to be a major factor in the Western Conference playoffs.

Here’s why Mitchell could be primed for his best postseason yet.

Much-needed rest

First, and perhaps most obviously, Mitchell will be the benefactor of one of the longest lay-offs in NBA history. If the Jazz were to resume play on July 31st, it will have been 142 days since its last regular-season game.

Given the unprecedented layoff, Mitchell would be one of the league’s greatest benefactors of the added rest. While the five-month stretch between games should give every player a set of fresh legs heading into the NBA’s restart, Mitchell is one of the most-used players in the league.

Prior to the break, Mitchell boasted the league’s 9th-highest usage rate among players that had played in more than 50 games in 2019-20. Additionally, he had played the 10th-most minutes of any player in the league, and the 6th-most minutes of any player in playoff contention.

An increased role

What’s more, Mitchell is going to see an uptick in minutes and overall usage when the Jazz return to play. The Jazz’s second-leading scorer Bojan Bogdanovic had to hang it up for the season after undergoing a wrist surgery to correct an ongoing problem that he played through during the season.

“Bogey” had played the 21st-most minutes of any player in the league up until play was halted, and his 25.2 percent usage rate will have to be absorbed by the rest of the team.

This likely means an increased role for Mitchell, who has seen this story before.

In his rookie season, Mitchell notably was the catalyst for the Jazz during an unexpected playoff push and series upset of Oklahoma City. During those 2018 playoffs, Mitchell was 5th among all starters in usage and was the 3rd-most used player who played more than 10 games.

Related: How Donovan Mitchell went from mid-round draft pick to NBA All-Star

The 2019 playoffs were much the same when Mitchell again had the 3rd-highest usage rate among starters and played just shy of 39 minutes per game.

Without one of its key pieces in Bogdanovic, the Jazz will once again rely on Mitchell to be a primary ball-handler, decision-maker, and scorer.

Familiar playoff foes

Lastly, Mitchell and the Jazz will face familiar opponents in the 2020 playoffs.

Though the seeding is not officially set and it is likely that things may shift after teams play a few final regular-season games before this version of the playoffs ensues, it’s quite likely that Utah will square off against playoff opponents from years past.

The Jazz currently sit in fourth place, one game ahead of the 5th/ 6th seeds Oklahoma City and Houston. In 2018, the Jazz defeated the Thunder before being ousted by the Rockets, and in 2019, the Rockets bounced Utah in the first round.

Now, the Jazz are likely set to face one of the two opponents, both of whom could be favorable match-ups vs. Mitchell.

In the regular season, the Jazz split two games with OKC and went 1-2 against Houston. In those five games, Mitchell scored 32 and 26 against the Thunder and dropped 36, 24, 31 points against the Rockets.

Those aren’t astronomical numbers, but 29.8 point per game average against two of the league’s top teams demonstrates his effectiveness against those squads specifically. Without the help of Bogdanovic in years past, Mitchell has averaged 23.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game in 16 career playoff games —  All of which have taken place against the Rockets and Thunder.

Given that Mitchell replaces the on and off Ricky Rubio with a healthy Mike Conley, who has started 56 career playoff games, at point guard, and he will be taking the court with a very familiar cast of characters on the roster, he could be in line for an even greater step up.

For a player that was at the center of controversy and awareness that put sports on hold for the last three months, it only feels right that this is the year that Donovan Mitchell breaks through and has his best postseason yet.