2 studs and 1 dud from Utah Jazz win over Cleveland Cavaliers

Utah Jazz stud: Donovan MItchell

There hasn’t really been a point in this season where anyone could have rightfully accused Mitchell of having a bad season. However, something felt like it was missing earlier in the year. Mitchell was generally delivering, but his scoring efficiency was waning, and he was becoming increasingly prone to occasional nights that leaned a little closer to “dud” than “stud”.

It feels like Mitchell is past turning a corner. The corner may be permanently turned. Last night, the Utah Jazz star contributed 35 points on 12/21 shooting from the field, and 4/8 shooting from downtown.

Mitchell may not have lent any credence to the idea that he should be this team’s de facto point guard. He also finished this game with 6 assists and 7 turnovers. That, to say the least, is suboptimal. On the other hand, Mitchell did what he’s always done best: score the basketball.

He was the picture of an elite scoring guard last night. He wasn’t afraid to go deep into the trees, driving to the basket with confidence that would suggest he was taller than any Cavalier on the floor. He also created his own looks from distance, with half of his four made three-pointers coming unassisted.

Mitchell is now averaging 24.2 points per game on the season, compared to 26.4 last year. His three-point accuracy still has some catching up to do, as his 33.7% mark lags behind last season’s 38.6%. However, his overall field goal percentage has actually increased, from 43.8% to 44.6%.

Utah Jazz fans have no reason to worry about Spida. He’s nearly as effective as he was last season, and he’s trending upwards. They can expect him to be there for them come playoff time.