HOUSTON — Exceptional as Donovan Mitchell is, as high his ceiling, the Jazz guard enters Sunday’s playoff opener still relatively unknown. He has a signature shoe, an NBA League Pass commercial and a smile that could launch a fleet of Larry H. Miller cars.
What he doesn’t have is high visibility beyond the NBA. He has yet to transcend the sport, à la Houston’s James Harden. Even as a player, Mitchell gets overlooked. In late March 2018, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton listed “The next 11 players who could change the future of basketball.” Mitchell wasn’t included but Trae Young — still in college — was.