NBA Playoffs: Storylines, predictions for Utah Jazz vs. Denver Nuggets

Who will step up for the Jazz?

If the Jazz is going to pull off the upset on the Nuggets, or at least make this a much longer series than many are expecting, they’re going to need someone other than Donovan Mitchell to step up on the offensive end of the floor. Utah knows, for the most part, what it’s going to get from both Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

For the most part during the restart, that happened to be Mike Conley and/or Jordan Clarkson. However, neither player was consistent enough for the Jazz to take advantage of. They were 3-5 in the restart and struggled on most nights on both ends of the floor. Will that change by playing a lesser defense?

The Nuggets aren’t superior on that end of the floor, but my concern is that even if they wanted to the Jazz doesn’t have enough weapons on the offensive end to take advantage. Maybe Donovan Mitchell goes absolutely berzerk and he takes over the series and this is all a moot point. However, I simply can’t see the Jazz winning (or even extending) this series without someone not named Mitchell or Gobert stepping up in a big way offensively.