After losing Gordon Hayward in free agency, it looked like the Utah Jazz were heading back towards the NBA Draft lottery. Nobody would have expected them to be at the .500 mark at this point of the season and be one of the top eight teams in the Western Conference. A big reason for their success has been the emergence of rookie guard Donovan Mitchell, who was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Through 26 games, Mitchell has started in 18 games, averaging 17.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 41.8% shooting from the field, 37.5% shooting from 3-point range, and 83.8% shooting from the foul line. As good as the Jazz thought he could become, not even they thought he'd be this good.
What stands out about Mitchell is how dynamic of a player he is. At 6'3", 211 pounds, Mitchell has a great combination of size, quickness, strength, and overall athleticism. He handles the ball really well and is very comfortable playing the point guard position when needed.
While he can dance around defenders and drain a 3-pointer in their face, he has no problem attacking the rim and finishing through contact. His ability to score in a wide variety of ways makes him really tough for defenders to stop. On the defensive end of the floor, Mitchell has the ability to guard both point guards and shooting guards due to his overall athletic package. He has a good feel for getting steals and forcing turnovers, which leads to easy baskets in transition.
In addition to possessing the physical gifts, Mitchell has the mentality to be an elite player in the NBA. He has no problem taking over a game and being the guy who his team relies on in crunch time. Some rookies have a hard time adjusting to this role, but Mitchell has embraced this role from day one.
While 76ers rookie Ben Simmons likely wins rookie of the year honors, Donovan Mitchell is making a compelling case for himself. He's playing elite basketball and has the Jazz on pace to make the playoffs. He really couldn't be off to a better start.
Note: This blog post also appears on my Utah Jazz blog. Click here to check it out.
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