Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell is helping fans forget about Gordon Hayward's departure

Yes, it’s just summer league. But Mitchell looks special.

Jazz fans took a blow July 4 when Gordon Hayward slowly made his exit from Salt Lake City. But Donovan Mitchell turning into the darling of the NBA Summer League is just the glimpse of hope those fans need to forget Hayward’s departure — at least for the time being.

Mitchell dazzled in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday with 38 points, eight steals, and 16 trips to the free-throw line. (Video via Dawkins)

This is Mitchell’s biggest performance since he debuted with 23 points in the Utah summer league.

We know it’s only summer league, and these performances only matter so much. But Mitchell is showing off skills most didn’t know he had at Louisville, which should excite Jazz fans.

What is Mitchell doing that we should #TakeNote of?

Mitchell was not a big-time scorer in college, so big shooting performances from him are a great sign of his ability to improve in that area. It’s just Summer League, but he’s still pouring it on.

Getting to the free-throw line 16 times like Mitchell did against the Grizzlies isn’t an easy task on any level of play. He was able to get into the lane at will and reaped the benefits of it. His ball-handling was not an obvious strength coming out of Louisville, so seeing him shift through traffic is a great sign for Utah.

He’s always been a great defender, but Mitchell is averaging 6.6 steals through two games at the Vegas summer league. He can play the ball straight up, but he’s excellent at darting in passing lanes and using his athleticism to take the ball the other way.

Why is this breakout special?

Mitchell almost wasn’t here. He would have returned to Louisville for a third season, but a workout with some NBA All-Stars changed everything, according to NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner.

Mitchell played two seasons at Louisville before catching scouts’ and coaches’ eyes at the annual draft combine in Chicago in May. He also worked out in Los Angeles with NBA stars Chris Paul and Paul George in Los Angeles this spring, and felt that he kept up fine.

Mitchell said it was those workouts that gave him the confidence to enter the NBA Draft.

“When you have all-stars telling you that you could be really good in this league, I think that’s going to raise your level [of confidence],” Mitchell told Aschburner.

Will he really make Jazz fans forget about Hayward?

That’s admittedly a tall order. Mitchell is still a raw prospect, albeit one with tons of athleticism and loads of potential.

Yet he’s also opening eyes in a way few expected when the Jazz traded up in the draft to nab him. Zach Guthrie, the Jazz’s summer league coach, told Aschburner that Mitchell has been able to show off more skill than he was able to at Louisville.

“We thought, if the floor opened up for him, his skills and his athleticism would really shine, and he’s really showing a lot of things here,” Guthrie said.

Mitchell and Hayward play two different positions and had two completely different roles in college. Expecting Mitchell to already be a lead guard like Hayward became in his seven years in Utah is an unfair ask.

However, Mitchell’s emergence this summer does offer a glimmer of hope for Jazz fans. Remember, Hayward started slow, only averaging 5.4 points per game in his first season. Mitchell could have a similarly steady path of growth.

Despite losing their best player, the Jazz still have room to grow. Rudy Gobert is one of the best defensive players in the game, and they have solid wing and guard play, even without an all-star.

Now, they can also look forward to the growth of Mitchell. Time will tell what type of player he’ll be, but in the meantime, Jazz fans can turn their attention away from the past and appreciate how bright his future can be.