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
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.
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