Donovan Mitchell is becoming a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate

A sophomore out of Louisville, Donovan Mitchell wasn’t talked about as a sure-fire first-round pick talent until his unusual build garnered attention as the draft crept closer. He stands 6-foot-3 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan after all.

Mitchell wasn’t a true point guard in college though, instead gaining reputation as more of a 3-and-D option. That made his NBA potential unclear.

Could he ever see the court like a true point guard? Were his ball-handling skills tight enough to sustain pressure from top-level talent?

Mitchell had been answering those questions slowly as his role within Utah’s offense continued to expand as injuries hit Rudy Gobert, Joe Johnson and backup point guard Raul Neto. Then he finally exploded and had The Game.

On Dec. 2, with a 41-point showing, Mitchell officially stamped his place a top rookie while leading a late-game Jazz comeback to beat the Pelicans, 114-108.

The gaudy point total finally brought the No. 13 overall pick the attention he deserves among the league’s best rookies. But in reality, this type of game has been in the works for anyone who had been watching.

In just three December games, Mitchell has racked up 93 points on 32-of-60 shooting (53.3%). That includes 14-of-30 (46.6%) from three-point range. He’s been the savior Utah’s offense has needed since Gordon Hayward’s departure.

There are a million reasons to start watching the 21-year-old right now.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder held their annual “Holiday Assist” on Monday night with players from the team joining kids and their parents for some cheer. One girl got Russell Westbrook as her shopping buddy and couldn’t handle it