Utah Jazz: 5 best summer league players in history

#1: Donovan Mitchell

You knew this was coming, right? I mean, he’s arguably the best Jazz player since the 1990s, so of course, he balled out in the Summer League. Donovan Mitchell is first in points, minutes, and steals so that alone is enough to rank number one on pretty much any list.

Mitchell played only five games over one summer season but averaged 20 points (and dropped 37 in his last game), 4.4 steals (thanks to 8, also in his last game), and he shot fairly well from everywhere. The sweet irony of Mitchell becoming one of the best players in the league and ranking first on this all-time Summer League Jazz list? He was traded to Utah on draft night in exchange for Trey Lyles of all people.

Donovan Mitchell never developed into the excellent defender he showcased in the summer of 2017, but he did become an even better scorer in his NBA career. That summer, he averaged 20.4 points per game. He has always averaged more than that in the NBA against much more talented players, even in his rookie season.

Donovan Mitchell was one of the best Summer League players ever, and the only reason he lost the MVP race for the summer is because of Lonzo Ball.

Ball averaged a near triple-double that summer, and when you factor in all the media attention he and Lavar were getting, it’s no wonder he ran away with it. Did he deserve it? Probably, but Mitchell ought to have been a close second.

At the end of the day, Mitchell is a franchise player with multiple All-Star appearances and is one of the best scorers in the game. Ball, on the other hand, never really got much better after his rookie year, so I guess Utah fans got the last laugh.