Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is playing at MVP level

Is there anyone shining brighter than Utah Jazz sensation Donovan Mitchell?

Sure, Donovan Mitchell struggled a bit out of the gates this season, his fifth year as a pro and with the Utah Jazz after going No. 13 overall out of Louisville at the 2017 NBA Draft.

However, the gifted playmaker is arguably outperforming everyone in the league across the past three weeks. And the Jazz (20-7), who remain at No. 3 in the Western Conference but are now only 2.5 games back of the first-place Golden State Warriors (23-5), have certainly benefitted from Mitchell’s rediscovered prowess.

A brilliant eight-game stretch from the Utah Jazz franchise weapon

Across the past eight outings, coinciding with an 8-0 run by the Utah Jazz, Donovan Mitchell is averaging 29.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. The two-time All-Star, who is now well on his way to a third straight All-Star nod, has shot 55.4 percent from the field, 43.2 percent from downtown, and 90.0 percent from the charity stripe during his team’s undefeated stretch.

He’s scored 30 or more points in four of the past eight games while never finishing a game below 20 points. Meanwhile, Mitchell’s plus-minus has been safely in the positive for the entire stretch, including the season-high +29 he posted last time out in Utah’s 124-103 home win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night.

Due to all the recent improvements, Mitchell has bumped his season averages to 24.8 points, 5.0 assists, and 1.7 steals while shooting a career-high 46.1 percent from the field. He currently ranks among the top 10 in the NBA this season in total points, 3-pointers, and steals.

Now, suppose Donovan Mitchell continues putting up numbers like those from his past eight appearances as the Jazz continue their winning ways. In that case, he’d likely enter the top five in several categories and cement his name in the MVP conversation.