Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell deserves some Rookie of the Year recognition

Just over a quarter of the way through the 2017-18 NBA season, Utah Jazz rookie guard Donovan Mitchell has continued to impress, making him deserving of some Rookie of the Year recognition.

After hitting a bit of a bump in the road in the last few weeks, most of which was related to injuries to key players, the Utah Jazz have appeared to have turned things around.

In the early part of November, Utah went 2-8 in a 10-game stretch, with many wondering what the Jazz should do next to try and fix things before they got too far out of control.

Well, the answer to that question actually came from within the current personnel on the roster. Mainly, rookie guard Donovan Mitchell.

Utah, which is currently riding a six-game winning streak and has once again found itself in the thick of things in the Western Conference, has been led by Mitchell during the winning streak.

The type of play we’ve seen from the rookie lately is why he is once again proving to be the steal of the 2017 NBA Draft and deserves some Rookie of the Year recognition this season.

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So far, Mitchell is averaging 16.6 points, 3.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He’s also shooting 41.0 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from 3-point range and 82.5 percent from the free throw line in 28.9 minutes per game. Among rookies, he ranks third in points, fourth in free throw percentage, fourth in steals, sixth in 3-point percentage, sixth in assists and 10th in field goal percentage.

Outside of basically Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons, Mitchell’s numbers have been the most impressive in the rookie class this season, and somehow he is still flying somewhat under the radar.

If the numbers above aren’t impressive enough, Mitchell has somehow found a way to turn it up a notch during Utah’s current six-game winning streak.

In the last six games, Mitchell is averaging 21.7 points, 4.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds and one steal in 30.8 minutes per game while now finding himself in a starting role. During that span, he is shooting the lights out, shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from 3. According to Basketball-Reference, he has recorded a Game Score of 15.6 and a plus/minus of +13.8.

That six-game span was highlighted by an impressive 41-point outburst from Mitchell on Dec. 1 against New Orleans in Salt Lake City, making him the first rookie since Blake Griffin in 2011 to record 40 or more points in a game. Mitchell shot 13-of-25 from the field, making six 3s, and recorded four rebounds and four assists in Utah’s victory.

His recent play has not only caught the attention of NBA fans everywhere, but also coaches and players from around the league. Prior to Monday’s contest against the Washington Wizards, Washington head coach Scott Brooks said Mitchell “is arguably the best rookie” in the league, according to Jazz broadcaster Kristen Kenney. After the game, Brooks said Mitchell is “one of the best players in the league.”

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If Mitchell continues to play at the level he has been playing at this season and especially during Utah’s six-game winning streak, he will make a solid case for consideration to win the Rookie of the Year award when the regular season comes to an end.