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HOUSTON — Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder has been asked some variation of the same question dozens, if not hundreds, of times: How did Donovan Mitchell handle this situation or that situation? What did he learn when he did this or did that? How did he react when he made that shot or missed that other one?
Over and over and over, it comes.
Snyder is hoping it keeps coming.
“They’re good questions because Donovan is consistently in those situations where teams, his teammates, the coaches are relying on him to do things,” Snyder said. “I’m proud of him.”
Mitchell led the Jazz to a Game 4 win with a dazzling 19-point fourth quarter. But one of the reasons the Jazz will be doing exit interviews on Thursday is his 12-point, 4-of-22 Game 5 performance in Utah's 100-93 loss to the Houston Rockets.
For the Jazz to win at the highest level in the playoffs, they need their young star to be, well, a star. They need Mitchell to make the big shots, to make the correct reads, to make everything easier for his teammates.
“In a lot of ways, how Donovan goes, at times, we go,” Snyder said. “And that’s, I won’t call it a burden, but it’s a responsibility that I think he’s shown time and time again.”
He showed it in Game 3 when he was willing to take the potential game-tying shot. He showed it in Game 4 when he carried the Jazz to a victory with a fourth-quarter surge. He showed it in Wednesday’s season-ending loss when the coaches trusted him to take a game-saving 3-pointer even after he had missed so many before.
Mitchell had some successes in during his second playoffs — he had even more failures.
“You’re not always going to have great nights,” Snyder said. “You’re not always going to make the shot. You’re not going to always have it go your way.
"The thing I’m grateful for in having an opportunity to coach Donovan is his approach and how he goes into it. I think for all of us, for myself and Donovan, anytime you have disappointment or adversity, hopefully, you challenge that and get better. That’s what Donovan has done all season.”
"We have guys from top to bottom coming in, making plays — fighting, competing, yelling, screaming. Whatever we’ve got to do to win. You don’t get that on every team."#TakeNote || #TeamIsEverythingpic.twitter.com/bCHabfsJIV
— KSL.com Sports (@KSLcomSports) April 25, 2019
Mitchell sat with his arms folded as he addressed the media after Utah’s final game of the season on Wednesday. He didn’t wear his trademark charismatic smile, but it wasn't truly one of sadness either. It was a look of determination.
The wounds were still fresh. All the missed shots, errant passes, and blown opportunities were still clear in his mind. As he reflected on his night and on his series, Mitchell echoed something he'd heard Damian Lillard say. Mitchell could do worse than following his footsteps — but it'd be hard to be better.
“You don’t succeed without failure,” Mitchell said. “You don’t succeed without going through times like this. To have that so vividly in my head at a moment like this, I can tell you that I’m upset and what all. Simply put, I wasn’t tonight. But I’ll be better.”
That’s something his peers — and not just teammates — genuinely believe, too. James Harden saw first-hand what Mitchell did in Game 4. He doesn’t believe that is an anomaly.
One day, and maybe very soon, it’ll be the norm.
“He’s capable of taking over a game — and this is only his second year,” Harden said of Mitchell. “Once he gets some years under his belt and more comfortable in his role and he knows he’s one of those guys, the sky is the limit for him.”
