Amidst one of the hottest and most efficient shooting streaks of his career, four straight wins for the Jazz and breaking 7,000 career points, it’s hard to imagine Donovan Mitchell’s past week getting any better.
It just did.
Announced on Monday by the NBA, Mitchell has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games from Monday, Nov. 29, through Sunday, Dec. 5. It’s the third time in his career that he’s won the honor, joining teammate Rudy Gobert as players who has won this season.
For the first time this season, Donovan Mitchell has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week https://t.co/NTWWvjfYCJ pic.twitter.com/rxLWIL59eU
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 6, 2021
Mitchell led the Jazz to a 3-0 record with home victories over Portland, Boston, and Cleveland — all of whom are currently in the NBA playoff picture.
Mitchell had three consecutive games of scoring at least 30 points, all of which came with extreme efficiency, shooting over 50% from the field in each game. He averaged 33 points and 5.7 assists during this run, shooting 43.3% (13-for-30) from beyond the arc and 93.3% (14-for-15) from the free throw line.
His offensive skillset was on full display during the last week.
From his deep three-pointers, strong finishes at the rim, and stepback jumpers, he showed an array of moves that couldn’t be stopped against some of the more elite defensive teams in the league. Both Boston and Cleveland rank in the top-10 in defensive rating this season.
Some of the best @spidadmitchell plays from a 3-0 week #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/eQTit3EjpQ
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 6, 2021
But what’s been most impressive during this stretch isn’t how he’s been scoring. It’s his overall playmaking abilities.
More than just a scorer, Mitchell has done an excellent job of finding his teammates for open shots, often passing up a shot for himself for a great shot for someone else. That selflessness has paid dividends as the Jazz are shooting 52.3% from the field throughout their winning streak.
Donovan reaches the 7,000 point mark in his 300th career game #UltraMoment | @MichelobUltra pic.twitter.com/mfJYBxLHIh
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 5, 2021
On Sunday afternoon, Mitchell reached another milestone with his first bucket against the Cavaliers, becoming the third-fastest to 7,000 career points in Utah history, behind Adrian Dantley and Pete Maravich. He’s also the fourth-fastest active player to accomplish the goal, behind LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Carmelo Anthony.
Mitchell was initially viewed as an athletically elite ‘3-and-D’ player after being drafted by the Jazz with the No. 13 pick in the 2017 NBA draft.
Often talking about how his game has evolved over the past five years, Mitchell never viewed himself solely as a ‘3-and-D’ type of player. While he acknowledges he made his mark his rookie season on the defensive end, his offensive evolution has been impressive and led to multiple all-star appearances.
what donovan said. #TakeNote
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 5, 2021
Mitchell is averaging 23.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game throughout his career. He’s averaging 33.6 minutes per game with 292 starts in his 300 career games.
But where many athletes might shrink when the lights get brighter, Mitchell gets better.
In 33 career playoff games, he’s averaging 28.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals in 37 minutes per game. He’s shooting 43.6% from the field, 39.4% from three-point territory, and 86.2% from the free throw line.
Good week! More to come pic.twitter.com/IAjWMYm6RL
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) December 6, 2021
Utah will look to extend its winning streak to five games when it plays Minnesota on Wednesday, the first back-to-back game with Philadelphia up next. Tipoff against the Timberwolves is set for 6 p.m. MST.
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