Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell comes in 6th on The Step Back’s “25 Under 25”

In the recently completed list from The Step Back of the top 25 NBA players under 25 years of age, Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell came in at sixth.

Although Donovan Mitchell was in many ways an under-the-radar selection when the Utah Jazz traded up to draft him 13th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, he’s far from under-the radar now. The Jazz guard has exploded onto the scene as a rising star on the court and a beloved personality off of it.

He’s been heaped with praises and recognition all summer long for his various accomplishments during his rookie season and throughout the community. And that trend has continued on in full force.

Just last week, Donovan Mitchell found himself receiving high marks on The Step Back’s list of the NBA’s top 25 players under the age of 25, as it was revealed on Thursday that he’d come in sixth place on the list. I’m sure some Jazz fans are disappointed that he didn’t come in at the top spot, but homerism aside, once they see the list, I think they’ll understand why.

Giannis Antetokounmpo came in at number one, followed by Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns and then the one that may be seen as iffy by some of the Utah faithful, reigning Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons. Each of those players ahead of Mitchell, with the exception of Simmons, already have a few years in the league under their belt, making their selection very much justifiable.

However, beginning with this season, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Donovan fly up the rankings. A few players of note that are often compared to Mitchell that he managed to finish ahead of include Jayson Tatum (7th), Devin Booker (8th), Gary Harris (12th) and Jamal Murray (15th).

Here’s some of the praise that The Step Back’s Paul Centopani had to say about Mitchell in his 25 Under 25 analysis of the Jazz star—

"After putting up one of the best rookie seasons ever by any statistical measure, Mitchell’s greatness and skills are apparent. Just take a look at these advanced numbers. Here’s a fun fact; did you know Mitchell became the third rookie all-time to score 20 points in their first five playoff games? He joined the esteemed company of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lou Hudson.Let’s go past analytics and trivial tidbits into the cut-and-dried results. He carried a Jazz team devoid of any real scoring threats and averaged 20.5 points on 43.7 percent from the field. That all went along with 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.4 made 3’s per game.His vibrancy pushed Utah to the No. 5 seed in an über-competitive Western Conference and past a superiorly talented and experienced Thunder team into the second round of the playoffs.Few players in the entire league, let alone someone under 25 years old, could have done that. Mitchell is already a star and some would say the “true rookie” of the year. While he fell short of the award, he’ll have to settle for making it all the way up to No. 6 on our list."

Considering that Ben Simmons did ultimately win the Rookie of the Year award, I entirely understand why he finished above Mitchell on the list. Not only that, but there’s no denying that he’s a generational talent and one of the most prolific and well-rounded players in the game.

However, when considering what Mitchell was able to do in propelling his Jazz squad to the unforeseen heights they reached on a team without any All-Stars in their ranks last season, I think there’s certainly an argument to be had that Donovan had the more spectacular year in 2017-18. And I suppose time will tell whether the young player ultimately surpasses Simmons on a list such as this.

One thing is certain, Mitchell is a star in the making, and his rise to super-stardom could be coming sooner rather than later. After fitting in seamlessly on the Utah Jazz roster as a rookie, he’s poised for a major breakout in year two.

Coming in sixth on the 25 Under 25 list is a nice tip of the hat to the young star. But that recognition, along with pretty much all others he’s earned up to this point, are likely just the tip of the iceberg for the accolades he’ll be due throughout what figures to be a remarkable NBA career.