Mavs Film Room: Dallas’ Defense Can Contain Donovan Mitchell - Here’s How
While the Utah Jazz have not managed to make it to the Western Conference Finals in their last few playoff appearances, Donovan Mitchell has consistently been one of the more explosive playoff performers in the NBA. The Dallas Mavericks will seek to keep him in check in Game 1 to set the tone in the series.
It will be all the more important for the Mavericks to lock in defensively given Luka Doncic will not be available to play in Game 1 as he recovers from a left calf strain. For a team that's identity begins with defense, they should be ready for the challenge.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Much of what the Jazz seek to accomplish starts and stops with how far Mitchell can carry them. The Mavericks did an adequate job of guarding him recently — limiting him to 14.5 points per game on shooting figures of 28.1 percent from the floor and 23.1 percent on 3s in their last two matchups.
The Mavericks made it a point in recent matchups to play close to the level of the screen to avoid Mitchell from having a clean pocket to take a pull-up 3. Dallas also made it a point to prevent fouling when trailing Mitchell before a screen, and they also made him shift directions when creating his shot.
Finney-Smith did a quality job of guarding Mitchell in their previous matchups. He has the necessary length to challenge Mitchell at the rim, and with the Jazz using a traditional big man often, Dallas can use that to reduce floor spacing.
"[Dorian Finney-Smith] did a great job and also Reggie [Bullock] did a really good job," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said after a March matchup against the Jazz. "I thought those two were great. Donovan is an All-Star and is probably going to be in the MVP talk.
“He's hard to guard, he's shifty. He can get to the basket, he can shoot the 3. I thought those guys did a great job of just contesting, making it tough on him."
There are pros and cons to any personnel combination, especially based on the matchup. With the Mavericks deploying a smaller unit, there will naturally be concerns about their ability to contain the opposition on the offensive glass. When playing close to the level to pressure Mitchell, it becomes all the more challenging.
Overall, it becomes a matter of, can the Mavericks pressure Mitchell and keeps the Jazz in check on the boards? Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside both present some challenges in that department, given the size advantage. They can get behind the big defender playing up for quality positioning to clean up a miss.
Attempting to contain Mitchell is not an easy problem to solve. The defense has to account for not only staying in front of him and pressuring his pull-up jumpers, but also, not leaving shooters too much and be in position to rebound.
One option the Mavericks have at their disposal if Mitchell does gain an advantage on a drive is to execute a veer-switch. Dwight Powell has shown he can hold his own when guarding quick guards out on an island in isolation.
The Jazz have one of the NBA's most efficient offenses for a reason. Mitchell's high volume scoring raises the floor of the group while being surrounded by sharpshooting and highly efficient play finishing from the center spot.
Finney-Smith did a quality job of on-ball containment in previous matchups and more of the same will be needed in Game 1 of this series. The Jazz could use pick-and-switch sequences with a guard screener to get Mitchell an easier matchup.
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
How the Mavericks choose to guard those sequences will be intriguing to see given they faced show-and-recover technique from the LA Clippers to keep the preferred on-ball defender on Doncic in bigger moments.
Another option the Jazz have used in the past to create cleaner opportunities for Mitchell has been the use of multiple ball screeners. With a Spain pick-and-roll with a shooter setting a back screen or double-drag actions, Utah could get creative. If they do, the Mavericks must be prepared to adjust on the fly.
