Utah's Donovan Mitchell deserves to be rookie of the year

 

(Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports)

With 11 games to go in the regular season, Utah Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell has his team in the middle of a playoff race, currently 8th in the Western Conference with the potential to finish as high as 3rd. Mitchell was drafted 13th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft and has greatly exceeded expectations, averaging 19.9 points, 3.7 rebounds,  3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. While everyone pegged 76ers rookie Ben Simmons as the no-brainer pick for rookie of the year to start the season, Mitchell has made it a very competitive race and has many people arguing that he should be the one who wins the award.

While Ben Simmons has had a really good year, averaging 16.2 points, 7.9 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game with the 76ers positioned 6th in the Eastern Conference, I want to put forth my own case for why Donovan Mitchell deserves rookie of the year honors.

#1. Donovan Mitchell came out of nowhere: While everyone expected Ben Simmons to have a great rookie season, nobody knew what to expect from Donovan Mitchell, who was drafted 13th overall after playing three years at Louisville. He burst onto the scene late in college and did just enough to get drafted at the back end of the NBA Draft lottery.

During my annual mock draft I said about Mitchell: "While being only 6’2”, Donovan Mitchell weighs 210 pounds and sports a very impressive 6’10” wingspan. He has great physical tools to work with and knows how to get to the basket. He absorbs contact well and has the potential to be a very versatile shooting guard." 

I should also mention that I did pick Mitchell to get picked 13th, but I would be lying to you if I said I envisioned him to breakout like he has. If we are giving rookie of the year honors to the rookie who has exceeded expectations by more than anyone else, Mitchell takes the cake by a mile. 

#2. Donovan Mitchell has the Utah Jazz battling for a playoff spot: While the same can be said for Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell has his team in the mix for a playoff spot, currently 8th in the Western Conference with the potential to finish as high as 3rd. After losing Gordon Hayward to the Boston Celtics, nobody thought the Utah Jazz would be in this position. Mitchell has nearly made Jazz fans forget about Hayward, which is pretty remarkable when you consider how much Jazz fans cried when he left. Mitchell has done more than put up impressive numbers. He has the Jazz playing winning basketball and at the end of the day that is what matters more than anything else. 

#3. Donovan Mitchell has played against tougher competition: Playing in the Western Conference, Donovan Mitchell has had to play teams like the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunder three to four times at least during his rookie season. These are the very best teams in the NBA. Ben Simmons in contrast has only had to face these teams twice. While Simmons is putting up impressive numbers and has his team in playoff contention, Mitchell is doing the same thing against better competition. 

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The Utah Jazz have a special rookie in Donovan Mitchell

                                          (Credit: Clutchpoints.com) 


After losing Gordon Hayward in free agency, it looked like the Utah Jazz were heading back towards the NBA Draft lottery. Nobody would have expected them to be at the .500 mark at this point of the season and be one of the top eight teams in the Western Conference. A big reason for their success has been the emergence of rookie guard Donovan Mitchell, who was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Through 26 games, Mitchell has started in 18 games, averaging 17.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 41.8% shooting from the field, 37.5% shooting from 3-point range, and 83.8% shooting from the foul line. As good as the Jazz thought he could become, not even they thought he'd be this good.

What stands out about Mitchell is how dynamic of a player he is. At 6'3", 211 pounds, Mitchell has a great combination of size, quickness, strength, and overall athleticism.  He handles the ball really well and is very comfortable playing the point guard position when needed.

While he can dance around defenders and drain a 3-pointer in their face, he has no problem attacking the rim and finishing through contact. His ability to score in a wide variety of ways makes him really tough for defenders to stop.  On the defensive end of the floor, Mitchell has the ability to guard both point guards and shooting guards due to his overall athletic package. He has a good feel for getting steals and forcing turnovers, which leads to easy baskets in transition.

In addition to possessing the physical gifts, Mitchell has the mentality to be an elite player in the NBA. He has no problem taking over a game and being the guy who his team relies on in crunch time. Some rookies have a hard time adjusting to this role, but Mitchell has embraced this role from day one.

While 76ers rookie Ben Simmons likely wins rookie of the year honors, Donovan Mitchell is making a compelling case for himself. He's playing elite basketball and has the Jazz on pace to make the playoffs. He really couldn't be off to a better start.

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The Utah Jazz need to ink Rodney Hood to a long-term extension

Earlier this month, Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune reported that the Utah Jazz are already engaging in talks with Rodney Hood about a contract extension. Hood, a 4th year shooting guard out of Duke, has emerged as one of the franchises' most promising young talents, having the potential to replace Gordon Hayward as the team's top scorer out on the wing. With him slated to be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2019, the Jazz can prevent him from hitting free agency by signing him to a contract extension.

During his first three seasons in the league, Hood has been a very nice player for this Jazz team, averaging 12.7 points per game on 41.5% shooting from the field, 36.4% shooting from three-point range, and 81.8% shooting from the foul line. With Hayward now gone, Hood is certain to get more touches and play an even more integral role in the team's offense.

Even more importantly, outside of Hood, the Jazz really don't have any good shooters or guys who they can rely on to get points out on the perimeter. If they aren't able to hang on to Hood, the Jazz will really be in a pickle to find themselves a scoring wing.

                                          (Credit: SlamOnline) 
While it is fair to wonder whether nor not Hood will ever become the player that Gordon Hayward is, the Jazz don't really have the luxury to bet that he won't become such a player for them. Right now, Rudy Gobert is the franchise centerpiece and they have to put a quality supporting cast around him in order to keep him in Utah beyond his current contract. The first major step towards putting such a supporting cast around him is to lock up Hood and give Gobert somebody who can take some of the scoring pressure off of him.

The Utah Jazz are in a rather unique position in that they are coming off a very successful season while also losing their top player in free agency. It will be hard for them to carry the momentum from last season into this season as a result. If they can sign Hood to a contract extension, they will be giving themselves another building block for the future and something to help them continue the momentum that they've built during the past few seasons.

Personally, I really like Rodney Hood and was very high on him when he was coming out of Duke. I thought he should have been a lottery pick and so when he fell to the Jazz at #23 overall, I thought he was an absolute steal. What I like about Hood is that he has all the tools to be an effective scorer in the NBA. He can score from beyond the arc, he can get to the foul line, etc. I see him as a guy who could someday average 18+ points per game in the league. If he can become the player that I think he can, he'll be worth every penny.

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