Without knowing it at the time, Donovan Mitchell’s performance on Dec. 5 was a potential prelude of what’s to come.
Against the upstart Cavaliers in Cleveland, Mitchell had one of his best performances of the season. He dropped 35 points, six assists, and three rebounds on 12-of-21 shooting from the floor and 4-for-8 from three-point territory, leading Utah to a 109-108 victory.
Following that victory — and a bunch more since then — Mitchell will return to the scene of the crime on Feb. 20. However, he won’t be wearing a Utah Jazz uniform — he will be donning a different type of jersey.
Announced on Thursday, Mitchell has been named to the 2022 NBA All-Star game.
Donovan Mitchell is now a 3x #NBAAllStar
Congratulations, @spidadmitchell! pic.twitter.com/8N5MtkcxFk
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 4, 2022
For the third time in his career, Mitchell has been chosen to the all-star game — not a bad stat considering it’s just his fifth season in the league. Mitchell’s third all-star appearance is tied with Boston’s Jayson Tatum for the most from the 2017 draft class, making Mitchell’s selection at No. 13 look like an absolute steal.
In what’s shaping up to be one of the best seasons of his career, Mitchell leads Utah in scoring with 25.5 points per game, adding 5.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals. He’s shooting 45% from the field and 33.9% from beyond the arc, showcasing his ability to score from every level.
He’s one of three players in the league to average 25 points, 4.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, along with Steph Curry and LeBron James.
Despite being on the edge of greatness in the league, Mitchell is still chasing that elusive All-NBA nod. He still plays with a chip on his shoulder, constantly grinding before and after practice, whether on the court, in the gym, or watching film.
“I’m still working on little things,” Mitchell said. “I want to be more efficient. The efficiency is important. It’s all about just trying to continue to get better and continuing to work hard.”
| This is Donovan’s first Player of the Month win https://t.co/sfpI0upfsv
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 4, 2022
Coming out of Louisville, Mitchell was initially viewed as an athletically elite ‘3-and-D’ player after being traded for by the Jazz in the 2017 draft.
“I remember when I was drafted, I wanted to run around a make a bunch of plays and make an impact defensively,” Mitchell said. “I just wanted to crack the rotation, and I thought defensively is where I would be able to get that done.”
After being named to the all-rookie team, Mitchell flirted with stardom the next three years — the last two resulting in all-star selections. However, despite gaudy numbers that match the best players in the world, Mitchell was never viewed as a star.
It’s a topic of discussion that ESPN broadcast announcer Richard Jefferson, a former NBA champion, raised on Christmas night. After Mitchell dropped 33 points with three rebounds and three assists against Dallas, Jefferson had some pointed and valid comments about the fifth-year guard.
“Whoever decides these all-NBA teams, I can’t believe he (Mitchell) wasn’t on any of them. … They must not be watching the games because there’s no way he isn’t a top-15 guy in the league,” Jefferson said of Mitchell.
One thing Mitchell has going for him, and something that’s not learned but innate, is his ability to rise to the occasion when the lights shine brightest.
In 33 career playoff games, he’s averaging 28.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals in 37 minutes per game. He’s shooting 43.6% from the field, 39.4% from three-point territory, and 86.2% from the free throw line.
So when the lights are shining bright in Cleveland on Feb. 20 and Mitchell is surrounded by the best basketball players in the world, there’s will be no questioning his validity of being associated as one of the best to play the game.
Donovan reaches the 7,000 point mark in his 300th career game #UltraMoment | @MichelobUltra pic.twitter.com/mfJYBxLHIh
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 5, 2021
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