Donovan Mitchell has always been able to generate assists. If you are as dynamic of the dribble as he is and can bend a defense as he can, assists come naturally. All it takes is to beat the open guy.
But that did not make Mitchell a point guard.
The leap he made to that position, and the leap that is likely to fundamentally change the Utah Jazz in the years to come, is to play Mitchell’s improvement in the cerebral parts of that place. He recognizes coverage better than he ever had. He makes much better readings from the pick-and-roll. He has become a more willing passer, recognizing that the team of teammates only serves to make him more dangerous from a scoring standpoint. He recognizes mismatches between his teammates better than he ever has.
He not only plays Point Guard. He controls players.
“It was fun coaching him and watching his progress,” said Utah coach Quin Snyder. “His ability to read the game is always improving. The conversations we have before and during games. The things he does on the floor. It’s fun to see how he gets along.”
In Sunday night’s 108-93 victory over the New York Knicks, Mitchell’s masterpiece at Madison Square Garden was sometimes surprising. He shot a game-high 36 points and made it to 11-of-21 shots from the field. He scored eight rebounds, handed out six assists and recorded a 2-to-1 assist to the turnover ratio. He made some great shots to stop the Knicks when they were running in the second half. He was the best player on the floor, with jumps and boundaries.
Mitchell has been great in the last five weeks, so a Sunday night does not serve as a one-off.
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