Surprise, surprise: Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell picked up NBA All-Rookie Team honors. Royce O’Neale was also among vote-getters.
The Utah Jazz’s very own plucky upstart officially made good on Tuesday. That’s right, little-known rookie Donovan Mitchell has somehow finagled his way into NBA All-Rookie Team honors. Shocking, I know.
End poorly executed sarcasm.
Of course, Mitchell was historically good in his first year as a pro. And, as one would have expected, he joined the Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons as a unanimous first-team selection. Also joining the star duo on the first team were forward Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls big man Lauri Markkanen and Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 21-year-old Jazzman averaged 20.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per contest this season. In doing so, he led the Jazz to 48 wins and a first-round playoff series victory over OKC.
Not bad for an undersized, late-lottery guy, eh?
The real surprise was that Tatum, who would be a surefire choice for Rookie of the Year in almost any other season, fell one vote shy of unanimous selection. I, for one, would love to meet the person that picked him for the second team.
Talk about out-thinking the room in the worst way possible.
Meanwhile, Lakers point-man Lonzo Ball, Sacramento Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, Atlanta Hawks big John Collins, Phoenix Suns forward Josh Jackson and Dennis Smith Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks comprised the second team.
Utah’s other standout rookie, guard-forward Royce O’Neale was among the other vote-getters. Although the four total points he picked up could feel a little bit like a slight, the fact that he put himself in a position to get All-Rookie votes this season is incredible.
O’Neale averaged five points and 3.4 boards per game this season, but those numbers hardly tell the tale. He literally went from being undrafted, playing abroad and battling Joel Bolomboy for the 15th roster spot to playing very meaningful minutes for a playoff team.
Oh, and he also managed to shut James Harden down defensively more than a handful of times. That alone puts him in elite company.
At any rate, here’s the full voting results —
Boston’s Jayson Tatum lands on All-Rookie first team but misses unanimous selection by a single vote. pic.twitter.com/WUxphzqdE0
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) May 22, 2018
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My take here is that neither Mitchell nor O’Neale require the validation of an All-Rookie nod. Hardware aside, their stories rank among the best in the league this season.
And the best is yet to come for both players.