National Basketball Association

Smooth Jazz In Utah

Published Jan. 27, 2021 2:13 p.m. ET

A torrid hot streak in the Orlando, Florida, bubble doesn't appear to have been a fluke for Donovan Mitchell.

After averaging 36.3 points per game in the Utah Jazz's first-round series against the Denver Nuggets, in which he recorded two 50-plus-point games and a 44-point outing, Mitchell hasn't slowed down in the 2020-21 season so far.

Through 17 games, Mitchell is averaging career highs assists (4.9), 3-point percentage (39.5) and 3-point attempts (8.6). He's also scoring 23.4 points per game.

It's a start that has him breaking records while placing the Jazz among the NBA's elite.

The Jazz have the third-best record in the NBA, at 13-4, and are currently second in the Western Conference, only a half-game behind the conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers.

The team's rise up the standings is in large part due to its current nine-game winning streak, in which Mitchell, not surprisingly, has played a huge role.

During the streak, Mitchell is averaging 25.2 points per game and has made 34 3-pointers. He has scored at least 23 points in seven of nine wins.

The Jazz's run, which has included victories over the Bucks and Nuggets, has some believing this team could break through to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1998.

Others, however, remain skeptical that Mitchell has what it takes to reach the status of truly elite in the NBA. Among those, notably, is NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal.

Granted, while Mitchell has been proving his doubters wrong, he hasn't been alone in guiding one of the West's best teams.

Reserve guard Jordan Clarkson is also enjoying a career season so far, with highs in points (17.2), rebounds (4.5), field goal percentage (47.4) and free throw percentage (96.2).

Clarkson's wizardry off the bench has him squarely in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year honors, and as Tavan Parker of SB Nation outlined, the award might be his to lose.

"This dude is straight up just a professional bucket-getter," Parker wrote. "As such, he’s the odds on favorite to win the 6th Man of the Year Award this year. As of right now, Clarkson is about 2:1 favorite at +250. The next closest is Chris Boucher at +700. At this point this is 100% Jordan’s race to lose."

The past three postseasons have seen the Jazz reach the conference semifinals in 2018 and '19 before losing in the first round last season.

But this year's team has a different feel to it.

The high-scoring backcourt of Mitchell and Clarkson has powered the Jazz to an average of 112.9 points per game, good for 12th in the league and the squad's highest scoring total since Mitchell's arrival in the 2017 draft.

The Jazz also rank third in the NBA in 3-point attempts per game (41.9), second in 3-point percentage (39.7) and first in 3s made (16.6), all high marks for the Mitchell era in Utah.

Thanks to a supercharged offense, the Jazz are climbing up the Western Conference ladder.

And with Mitchell leading the way, they might be poised for a deep postseason run.