The J-Notes
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Utah Jazz: Checking in on preseason team award predictions

By Tyler Thorpe

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 20: The Utah Jazz celebrate during the game against the LA Clippers on January 20, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 20: The Utah Jazz celebrate during the game against the LA Clippers on January 20, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JANUARY 30: Alec Burks #10 of the Utah Jazz controls the ball during a game against the Golden State Warriors at Vivint Smart Home Arena on January 30, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JANUARY 30: Alec Burks #10 of the Utah Jazz controls the ball during a game against the Golden State Warriors at Vivint Smart Home Arena on January 30, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /

Surprise of the Year

Preseason pick: Alec Burks (Runner-up: Ricky Rubio)

I jumped on the Alec Burks bandwagon this preseason and still don’t know if I quite regret it or not. I believed that the necessity for offensive weapons to step up would lead to a much larger role for the former 12th-overall pick.

Burks, however, has shown flashes of offensive brilliance, posting eight straight 10-plus point games in November and December. Despite his athleticism and energy, Burks’ role has largely been minimized in favor of undrafted rookie Royce O’Neale.

Burks has been far from terrible, however, his inability to carve out a role with Utah’s current roster does nothing to warrant the title of “Surprise”.

New pick: Donovan Mitchell 

Utah Jazz Donovan Mitchell NBA All-Star Rising Stars
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 16: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the USA Team dunks the ball against the World Team during the Mountain Dew Kickstart Rising Stars Game during All-Star Friday Night as part of 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend at the STAPLES Center on February 16, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

As I mentioned above, O’Neale’s steady improvement and an increased role on a competitive Jazz team as an undrafted player should be considered one of this year’s biggest surprises.

Despite O’Neale’s impressive play, though, this honor goes to another rookie.

As the 13th pick in the NBA draft, “immediate impact”, “leader” and “league-wide recognition” were not exactly considered expectation for the Louisville product.

Mitchell has captured the hearts of Jazz fans everywhere and has established himself as a premier NBA talent. Mitchell currently leads the Jazz with nearly 20 points per game to go along with over three assists and rebounds.

The surprising rookie has even started to gain national recognition and has sparked a league-wide debate on whether Ben Simmons really is the no-questions-asked rookie of the year.

If Mitchell can continue to garner national attention and lead Utah to a playoff berth, he should be a strong candidate for the award.

The Slam Dunk Contest win was just icing on the cake for an impressive start to a promising career for Mitchell.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/965061062948044800

#ROY

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