He ranked 17th in assists leading to 3-pointers over the past two seasons and 10th in teeing up corner 3s last season, according to PBP Stats, and has ratcheted up his playmaking in the past three postseasons, increasing his assist rate while turning the ball over less frequently than in the regular season-in keeping with an overall tendency to level up on offense come the playoffs, where he’s put up some absolutely monstrous performances. Mitchell’s more of a combo guard than a true table-setter, but he’s taken steps as a facilitator over the years. In essence, he provides just about everything the Knicks hoped they might get from Kemba Walker last summer, only a hell of a lot more of it with seven fewer years of wear and tear on his body. He’s also proved to be a dangerous spot-up option away from the initial action, drilling 40 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s for his career. Play off him to try to wall off the drive, and he’ll raise right up: Mitchell took and made more pull-up 3s last season than every player in the league save Young, Doncic, and Stephen Curry, and hit them at a 35.6 percent clip despite both the volume and degree of difficulty.
He combines a lightning-quick first step to beat defenders off the bounce with the strength and touch to finish through contact in the paint, shooting a career-best 65 percent at the rim last season, according to Cleaning the Glass, and ranking sixth in the NBA in points scored per game off of drives to the basket, according to Second Spectrum tracking.
(Second on that list, by the way? Brunson.) For all the hue and cry in Utah about the value of screen assists, Mitchell’s also eminently capable of cooking without a pick, averaging 1.04 points per possession in isolation last season-tied for 11th out of 61 players to go solo at least 100 times. Mitchell averaged 1.03 points per possession finished as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll last season, according to Synergy’s game charting that tied for sixth out of 132 players to log at least 100 such plays. His stylistic peers are players like James Harden, Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Damian Lillard, and Ja Morant-excellent scorers and high-usage ball handlers who can serve as the dynamic engine of a high-octane offense. 1 last season, due in large part to Mitchell’s effectiveness as one of the league’s most versatile shot creators and most potent three-level scorers. The Jazz finished in the top 10 in offensive efficiency in each of the past three seasons, including no. We can start here: Mitchell is a legit offensive monster, one of only 12 players to average at least 25 points and five assists per game over the past two years.
One massive question hangs over it all, though: Is Donovan Mitchell the right star to go all in for? After a whirlwind month marked by draft-night drama, a nine-figure deal for Jalen Brunson, trade requests across the East River, and a teardown in Salt Lake City, there’s suddenly a 25-year-old three-time All-Star with a signature shoe deal and a megawatt smile on the market-and the Knicks have the pieces they need to go out and get him. Keep amassing draft picks, sign short-term and movable contracts, keep your powder dry, and give yourself a chance to take a swing at a star when he becomes available.Ī frustrating and disappointing 37-45 campaign last season made that slow play feel like a step back, but the Knicks may now find themselves in position to put the next phase of their rebuild into action. Don’t overreact to a surprising playoff run and don’t chase immediate gratification. Coming off their first postseason appearance in seven years, the Knicks’ plan last summer was simple.
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