Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell looks like a star after winning Western Conference Player of the Week

Donovan Mitchell appears to be blossoming into the star the Utah Jazz need after earning the Western Conference Player of the Week award in impressive fashion.

After shouldering an enormous load last season to push the Utah Jazz into the playoffs then being Utah’s principal force in the first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Donovan Mitchell asserted himself as a rising star in the league. Jazz fans were quick to laud him as their next superstar, and several NBA fans and media members alike expected great things out of him in his second season.

While some might argue that the bar for Mitchell was held unfairly high to start the 2018-19 campaign, there’s no denying that the second-year player struggled early. Sure, his 20-plus points per game was a nice mark for him to hit, but his efficiency and often his decision making were atrocious.

Nevertheless, things appear to be beginning to click for Donovan, a fact that has been strongly evidenced not only by his fantastic recent play, but also by his reception of the Western Conference Player of the Week award for the week of January 6-13. Considering that he won this award over the prolific performances of the likes of James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Nikola Jokic and other acclaimed players that week is a huge accomplishment.

It’s also a testament to a simple fact that Jazz fans have come to know all too well – Donovan Mitchell is looking and playing like a star.

In the four games for which Mitchell won the award, the Jazz went 3-1, with their lone loss being a disappointing defeat in Milwaukee. In those four contests, Donovan averaged 31.5 points and 5.8 assists. Perhaps most encouraging was his efficiency during that stretch, as he went 48.4 percent from the field and 48.6 percent from deep.

Mitchell scored over 30 points in the three consecutive wins of the week, as well as a career-high nine assists against the Los Angeles Lakers. In all, it was an impressive seven days for the young rookie who continues to bounce back nicely from his disappointing start to prove doubters wrong.

From game to game, it’s becoming more and more apparent that Mitchell is getting better at letting the game come to him, reading his opponents and trusting in his teammates enough to make the best decisions. He’s taken over when needed, and facilitated with precision at other key moments.

Sure, his uptick in 3-point efficiency may just be an evening out of the odds. But there’s also no denying that he’s taking better shots in general, which is helping his overall confidence and 3-point percentage to increase.

Due to his recent hot streak, Mitchell is now up to 42.1 percent shooting from the field and 32.7 percent from the perimeter. That’s still below last year and not nearly where he needs to be, but he’s quickly trending in the right direction.

And if the Western Conference Player of the Week award is any indication that he’s turned the corner, as it appears to be, then the Utah Jazz could very well have their star back. Utah has finally moved into eighth place in the Western Conference with a chance to continue to climb into seventh on Wednesday. If Mitchell is back in full force and continues his star-powered run that earned him this recent recognition, the Jazz will be in great shape moving forward.

The beginning of the season was rough, to put it lightly, for both Mitchell and his Jazz team. But things are looking up and all indications of late are that Donovan is ready to be the star the Jazz need and that the team is primed for a great run into the thick of the playoff mix.