Utah Jazz: 3 bold predictions for 2018-19 NBA season
By KC Whitten
2. Donovan Mitchell will make the All-Star team
A star was born during 2018 All-Star weekend in Los Angeles last season. Sporting a vintage Vince Carter jersey, Donovan Mitchell impressed the country by winning the Slam Dunk Contest and replicating Carter’s famous 360 windmill dunk.
"Half man, half amazing!"
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2018
Is that Donovan Mitchell or Vince Carter?
Mitchell replicates the dunking legend and wins the #VerizonDunk Contest with this incredible hammer!#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/G4XxvLbgYl
Instead of being a participant in the Slam Dunk Contest again, Mitchell should be a member of the 2019 All-Star team in Charlotte. He exploded offensively last season after the All-Star break, averaging 22.5 points per game and leading the Jazz to the fifth seed in the Western Conference.
He continued his impressive rookie campaign in the postseason. He outplayed former MVP Russell Westbrook in the first round, torching Oklahoma City for 28.5 points per game en route to winning the series.
Mitchell slightly regressed during their second round series against the Houston Rockets, averaging a respectable 19.4 points per game. However, his 24.4 points per game average during the playoffs was the most by a rookie since David Robinson in 1990.
He will be the focal point of the Jazz offense throughout the 2018-19 season. If he replicates his late season and playoff numbers, there’s no doubt he will be an All-Star this season.