The Meteoric Rise of Donovan Mitchell: The NBA’s newest superstar

Seeing a young player dominate in the NBA is nothing new. From Michael Jordan in 1984 to Lebron James in 2003, we can clearly see that the league’s top youngsters are often able to create an immediate impact. However, this only applies to the draft’s cream of the crop. It is much more likely for most of these drafted players to fade away into irrelevance, becoming entirely forgotten by the franchise that drafted them and the fans that once rooted for them. This becomes especially common after the first ten picks. The first ten picks in each NBA draft are considered to be very important assets, with a pick in this range considered by most to be a valuable trade piece or high ceiling player. Following the top ten comes the rest of the first round draft picks along with the entirety of the second round. Although some great players have gone outside of the top ten recently, most notably Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leanord, the same trend that has haunted players picked outside this range has continued to this day. However, this trend is somewhat logical due to the franchise players that have been picked at the top of the draft. Players like Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Trae Young, and Zion Williamson have gone in the top 5 in recent years and have produced accordingly, with each of these players already having a minimum of one All Star Game appearance.

However, one often overlooked player picked outside the top ten has developed into a star, much to the excitement of Utah Jazz fans and personnel after their draft day trade to get him in 2017. The player, Donovan Mitchell, was able to get his career off to a great start, but many still saw him as no more than a Robin or second option. He was thought of as an efficient playmaker on the offensive end of the floor with great athleticism and leadership abilities. Through his first four seasons, though, Mitchell has continuously improved his play to get to an All-Star and All NBA level. Many believed that he had reached his potential after leading the Jazz to the #1 seed in the west with a statline of 26.4 / 4.4 / 5.2 for the 2020-2021 season. However, these 2021 playoffs have added a new dimension to his stardom. After four stellar games against the Memphis Grizzlies and three head-turning performances against Leonard’s Los Angeles Clippers, Mitchell has catapulted himself into the upper echelon of active NBA players that very few have reached in the league’s history. Donovan Mitchell has arrived, and he is the NBA’s newest Superstar.

Averaging 32.3 points per game in these playoffs, Mitchell has proved to be no less than magical for the Utah Jazz. Once considered to have a deep roster with no fire power, Mitchell has flipped that narrative on its head, providing his team with clutch basket after clutch basket in the process of willing the #1 seed to six victories in the seven playoff games he has played in this year. After being unable to play in a game 1 loss to the Grizzlies, Mitchell was forced to suit up for the remaining four games in hopes of preventing the Jazz from going home in a potentially shocking round one exit. During these games, he averaged 28.5 points per game and led the Jazz to four straight wins to close out the series. After having a few days off while awaiting the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks series, Mitchell was once again tasked with a difficult return to playoff basketball, now on the offensive side of the ball. He would have to continue running the Jazz offense while being guarded by Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, two of the best wing defenders in the league. Despite the challenge, Mitchell was able to drop 45 and 37 points in the first two games of the series, empowering the Jazz to two wins that put them up 2-0, cementing their status as the West’s team to beat. Unfortunately, Mitchell was forced to leave game 3 early due to a minor ankle injury. Regardless, he was still able to put up 30 points in this game despite the Clippers winning in a dominant fashion, by a final score of 132-106. With game 4 being just around the corner, Mitchell is expected to return and once again faces immense pressure. If the Jazz are unable to win this game, the series levels itself at 2-2. Such a shift in the momentum could lead to an increase in confidence from the Clippers, something that could prove to be deadly for the Jazz if they wish to advance to the next round of the playoffs. However, given that they’ve been nearly unbeatable with Mitchell in their lineup for the entirety of the playoffs, we can assume that the blossoming superstar will deliver by continuing to scorch defenses and being a game changer for the Utah Jazz in games to come.

Overall, Donovan Mitchell’s level of play in these playoffs has taken a meteoric rise, sky-rocketing him into a tier of NBA players that not many others have been a part of. With his newfound abilities to take over games and provide an instant impact when inserted into a series, it is clear that Donovan Mitchell is no longer someone that can be overlooked. Instead, we must all accept the fact that Mitchell is coming into his own as a basketball player and that he is now, officially, a superstar in the NBA.