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Utah Jazz: 2010s All-Decade team

By Dean Hasan

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 02: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz talks to Donovan Mitchell #45 against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on December 2, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 02: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz talks to Donovan Mitchell #45 against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on December 2, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Utah Jazz Donovan Mitchell
Utah Jazz Donovan Mitchell (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) /

Shooting Guard of the Decade: Donovan Mitchell

Following the departure of their star small forward, Utah Jazz fans wondered how they would fill a Gordon Hayward-sized hole in an offense that just finished 12th in offensive rating.

Though Donovan Mitchell started out slowly, averaging just 13.5 points on 37.7 percent shooting from the floor in his first 10 games and 14.8 points on 38.2 percent shooting over his first 20, he quickly picked things up in December and never looked back.

After losing Rookie of the Month to Kyle Kuzma in November, Mitchell won the remaining four Rookie of the Month awards and was by far the best rookie in the West. In February he won the Slam Dunk Contest and by the season’s end he set a new rookie record for 3-pointers made.

Although he finished second to Ben Simmons in the Rookie of the Year voting, he made first team All-Rookie and come playoff time, Mitchell showed the league just how talented he really was. In his first career playoff series, he sparked the Jazz to a first-round win over reigning MVP Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Mitchell averaged 28.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals on excellent efficiency for the series and in Game 6 he came up huge with 38 points to put OKC away.

While he slipped in scoring and field goal percentage in the following round against the Houston Rockets, Mitchell succeeded at bringing his team to the Western Conference semifinals, matching how far Gordon Hayward took the team before leaving in free agency.

After improving stat-wise across the board in the 2018-19 season, this year, Mitchell is averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage and free throw percentage and he appears to be a lock for a spot on the 2020 All-Star Game.

Given the degree of Mitchell’s achievement in such a short amount of time, he certainly deserves his title of shooting guard of the decade for Utah.

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