Utah Jazz: Does Donovan Mitchell now have the edge in ROY race?
By John Keeffer
Get the National Media on his side
One of the biggest struggles for a player in a smaller market, is gaining enough national interest to ensure people are actually seeing what you are doing. Players in Utah are at an inherent disadvantage for this. It’s one of the reasons Jazz players are rarely going to be voted by the fans as All-Star Game starters.
During All-star Weekend, Donovan Mitchell accomplished that. He was one of the most sought-after interviews by the media, and he stole the show with his victory in the Dunk Contest on Saturday Night.
On that performance alone, I believe he pulled himself even with Ben Simmons in the Rookie of the Year race. I know and understand that the Dunk Contest has nothing to do with actual in-game performance. However, post All-Star break, Mitchell has essentially assured himself a much higher amount of media attention. Even in a smaller market.
We’ve seen it already when following Mitchell on Instagram and Twitter. After winning the dunk contest, he was seen exchanging numbers with Floyd Mayweather, and out to dinner with Michael Rapaport. He was selected as the ROY winner by both Stephen A. Smith and Jalen Rose. We’ve also seen multiple current NBA stars endorsing Mitchell and his ROY candidacy. Notably, Damian Lillard and DeMar DeRozan over the All-Star break.