After one third of the season, there is much to be excited about regarding the Utah Jazz. So far, we have overachieved in a big way while ending up just under .500 (I know, not all that exciting and for some of us, a little depressing that that is what we consider overachieving) and the league is buzzing about Donovan Mitchell. Although we are in for murderers' row and likely to see that winning percentage come down drastically, I thought it might be worthwhile to consider our preferences for leading point scorers between this year and last and get some input. At this moment in time, would you rather have Donovan Mitchell, 27 games into his first season with the unknown remainder of the season looming, including honed in scouting reports and first year fatigue, or would you rather have Gordon Hayward, a tried and true veteran poised to carry the team to the second round of the playoffs (albeit with significant reliance on the shoulders of Joe Johnson to carry a big part of the load, at least the playoffs part)?
Statistics Points FG% 3P% FT% REB AST STL TO
Donovan Mitchell 17.3 41.0% 37.4% 84.2% 3.0 3.2 1.4 2.4
Gordon Hayward 21.9 47.1% 39.8% 84.4% 5.4 3.5 1.0 1.9
Notes: Donovan Mitchell's stats represent all 27 games he has played in the NBA and Gordon Hayward's represent the entirety of the 2016-2017 season. The real question is, what are we to expect from Donovan Mitchell throughout the remainder of the season? Does he continue to step up and plow through the glass ceilings placed over him or does he reach his breaking point and come back down to Earth? Will his season trajectory exceed the production of Gordon Hayward's 2016-2017 campaign? Obviously, we're talking about a Western Conference All-Star. Those are big shoes to fill and the side by side comparison shows both how far Donovan has to go but also how far he has come.
Other Considerations: How refreshing is it to have a guy like Donovan Mitchell that you can unabashedly love? From the moment he was drafted, he has said and done everything right by Jazz fans and continues to wow and impress on a daily basis. Also, Did Gordon Hairweird ever really embrace Utah? After five minutes in Boston, it certainly appeared that he had one foot out the door from the minute he stepped into a Utah Jazz uniform several years ago.
I hope Donovan Mitchell continues to take on the challenge of the NBA and makes this article look foolish by season's end.
So, for the rest of this season, would you rather have Donovan Mitchell and his potential going forward or the 2016-2017 production of Gordon Hayward?
Feel free to comment.