NBA
Donovan Mitchell Will Be The Next NBA Great Super Star
Today we will be talking about the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year runner-up Donovan Mitchell. That doesn’t sound that impressive, but believe me, this is only the start for Donovan Mitchell. He is only at the tip of the iceberg of his potential.
In Donovan’s freshman season with the Cardinals, he was good but nothing special. The head coach at the time, Rick Pitino, told Mitchell that he needed to develop his jump shot further. After Donovan Mitchell’s sophomore season Pitino said that I have never in all my years of coaching seen a player improve a jump shot that fast. Mitchell was lethal from beyond the arc. In one particular game, he hit seven threes in a row. That season he led Louisville to a number two seed in the NCAA tournament. Even though the Cards were upset by the seven seeded Michigan Wolverines, this undoubtedly wasn’t because of Donovan Mitchell. He had 19 points, the team high, and threw in five assists and seven rebounds. With this being his last game at Lousiville, he declared for the 2017 NBA Draft.
Donovan Mitchell And The Draft
Although he was good, Donovan Mitchell was not as highly scouted as other players in the draft, such as Markel Fultz or the great Lonzo Ball. However, with the 13th pick, the Denver Nuggets picked Donovan Mitchell. Short-lived as the Nuggets traded Mitchell to the Utah Jazz for the No. 24 pick in that draft and Trey Lyles. The Nuggets are already regretting this move for obvious reasons. If you are wondering who the number 24 pick was for the Nuggets, well it was Tyler Lydon. Just like all of you, I have no idea who this is. Donovan Mitchell is good for the Jazz because they needed a shooting guard.
What Can Mitchell Improve On?
Donovan Mitchell averaged 20.5 points per game with 3.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds. While these are good numbers, the assists and rebounds could improve, but that’s why there is an offseason. However, I want to flashback to a game against the Pelicans. Donovan started off hot with his team’s first eight points and two three-point shots made. However with three minutes to go the Jazz were down 101-97, but Mitchell had 30 points and was either driving to the rim at ease or spotting up from anywhere and just raining threes. But it was in those final three minutes where Donovan Mitchell took over.
He started out with a pull-up three and then gave a beautiful pass to Joe Ingles for another wide open three. In a blink, the Jazz were ahead 103-101. After New Orleans tied it up, Mitchell went to the rim at ease again to put the Jazz up by two. He then did the same thing again, this time it was an and-one. After making the free-throw, the Jazz was up 108-103 just because of Donovan Mitchell. He finished the night with 41 points along with some critical assists and rebounds. It is imperative. It took Kawi Leonard six seasons to have his first 40-point game.
What Kind Of Playoff Presence will Mitchell Have?
Now any player can have his moment in the regular season, but all in all, it is the playoffs which matter the most. Mitchell would have a tall task because he had to guard defending MVP Russell Westbrook. Defense is another strong part of Donovan Mitchell’s game. He held Westbrook to 38% shooting and more than held his own. In the deciding Game 6, Mitchell also had 38 points and played as well if not better than what he did against the Pelicans. While the Jazz was eliminated in the next round by the Rockets, Donovan did play well and had about 25 points in just about every game. Don’t worry, the Jazz will be here next year.
I quickly wanted to mention the dunk contest. The dunk contest is becoming a joke. The good players don’t do it, and the dunks aren’t as good. That being said, Donovan was great in the contest, and it is nice to see prime players going into the dunk contest again. I also liked the Vince Carter tribute.
Rookie Of The Year
When it came to the 2018 Rookie of the Year race, it was between Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell. To be fair, I do think Simmons had the better year. However, Donovan had slightly lower stats, but he did it in a twice as good a conference. If Donovan Mitchell played in the East, he would have the same stats as Simmons. And then there is the whole ‘is Simmons a rookie or not a rookie’ drama. By definition, he is a rookie, and I think he was worthy of the ROY trophy. However, I think Mitchell was just as good and will eventually be better than Simmons with his shooting, and he has more room to improve. It will be fun watching these two for the next decade.
With every NBA player, there is room for improvement. Two things for Mitchell to improve are the assists and rebounds. That is I think lost him the ROY trophy. If he can get his teammates involved more, those assist numbers will climb. Another thing is the three-point shooting. Mitchell shot in the low 30s for his percentage. While he won’t be the next Steph Curry, if he could make his shot a little more consistent, he will be better. Mitchell is a streaky shooter. This is where he either makes a lot of threes in a row or misses a lot in a row. If he becomes a tad more consistent, he will be better and have more points.
I hope you enjoyed this article. If you disagree, you can leave a comment or email me at quincybell42@gmail.com, and I will 100% get back to you to talk sports!
