The 2017-18 Utah Jazz: An Unexpected Season

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Utah Jazz Donovan Mitchell New Orleans Pelicans

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – DECEMBER 1: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz handles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 1, 2017 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Donovan drops 40

Donovan Mitchell’s athleticism, charisma and love for the game quickly made him a fan favorite and the #SpidaMania quickly ensued. Speaking of #SpidaMania, shout-out to my J-Notes colleague and aspiring jersey model, Tyler Crandall, for this sweet custom Mitchell Jersey…

Modeling was my backup job lol. But I'm happy with the finished product. Hoping to get a like from @spidadmitchell #utahjazz @utahjazz gonna rock this to every game I attend next season. pic.twitter.com/YJpCtv9TfH
— tyler cran (@tjcranman) May 7, 2018

While the excitement for the rookie had been building since Mitchell’s impressive Summer League performance, his 41-point effort against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 1 might be what jump-started it all.

Prior to that offensive explosion, he had yet to even reach the 30-point mark.

Mitchell had a breakout month in November, nearly doubling his scoring output from the season’s opening month. This game, however, put Spida on the map. Mitchell, tasked with leading Utah’s scoring efforts, went on to average over 23 points per game in December.

The rookie again dropped 40 points against the Phoenix Suns in February, shooting an impressive 14-of-19 from the field and 7-of-9 from three.

Mitchell continued to gain praise from fans and players alike as the season went on, eventually gaining comparisons to the likes of Dwyane Wade and Allen Iverson.

Not too shabby for a player drafted 13th overall, no?

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