Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell wins NBA Player of the Month Award

Donovan Mitchell. Photo: Twitter/Donovan Mitchell

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 5, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The NBA has announced that Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell has been named the Western Conference Player of the Month for games played during December.

“It marks Mitchell’s first career player of the month honor and he becomes the first Jazz player to earn the accolade since Deron Williams in November 2010,” said a news release from the Utah Jazz.

“It’s been the best month of Mitchell’s career as he averaged 30.2 points, 5.0 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals in 34.2 minutes per game. While those are excellent numbers, it was the efficiency that truly set him apart, shooting 50.2% from the field, 37.7% from three-point territory, and 87% from the free throw line.”

It was nearly a perfect month for the Jazz, going 10-2 as a team and climbing to the top-3 in the NBA standings, including victories over Boston, Cleveland, Washington, Philadelphia, and the Los Angeles Clippers, the news release said.

Mitchell was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games from Monday, Nov. 29, through Sunday, Dec. 5, the third time in his career that he’s won the honor.

Mitchell is averaging 23.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game throughout his career. He’s averaging 33.6 minutes per game with 304 starts in his 312 career games, shooting 44.1% from the floor, 36% from beyond the arc, and 83.4% from the free throw line.

Here is a closer look at some of Mitchell’s best games during the month:

Dec. 31 vs. Minnesota: Finished with a season-high 39 points (12-of-21 FG and 6-of-11 3FG), along with six assists in a 120-108 victory against the Timberwolves.

Dec. 8 at Minnesota: Posted 36 points (14-of-23 FG), five boards, two assists and a block on the road against Minnesota, winning 136-104.

Dec. 5 at Cleveland: Logged 35 points (12-of-21 FG), six assists, three rebounds and one steal in a 109-108 road victory against the Cavaliers.

Dec. 3 vs. Boston: Registered 34 points (6-of-14 3FG), also handing out six assists in a 137-130 win.

Dec. 25 vs. Dallas: Had 33 points (10-of-11 FT), also recording three rebounds, three assists and three steals, winning the Christmas Night matchup, 120-116.

On Jan. 1, the 25-year-old moved his way into the Jazz’s top-10 all-time scoring list and has now totaled 7,376 points in a Jazz uniform.

He shares the honor with Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid who was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month.

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