Is Donovan Mitchell a full-fledged superstar after 45-point performance in Game 1?
Is Donovan Mitchell the next All-Star to become a full-blown superstar?
The question must be asked after he put up a monstrous 45 points in a 112-109 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday against the LA Clippers.
Now, all eyes are on the Utah Jazz guard and what he’ll do next.
The 24-year-old Mitchell finished 11th in the league in points per game (26.4) in the 2020-21 regular season. He now has more 45-point playoff games than all other Utah players combined and more than current superstars Damian Lillard, James Harden and Stephen Curry.
This is Mitchell's third straight year appearing in the playoffs and Utah's first time making it past the first round since 2018. Mitchell averaged 28.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists in the first round against the Memphis Grizzlies (4-1), and in the second round, he already has a 45-point game in the books.
This isn't his first rodeo. In 2020, Mitchell put on an offensive performance for the ages, with a record-shattering, 57-point game against the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the first round.
It was the most points in a playoff game in Jazz franchise history and the third-most points in a game in NBA playoff history, trailing only Michael Jordan's 63-point performance against the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the 1986 Eastern Conference first round and Elgin Baylor's 61 points in Game 5 of the 1962 NBA Finals, also against the Celtics.
In addition, Mitchell recorded his second 50-point playoff game, with 51 points and seven assists, in Game 4 of the Jazz-Nuggets 2020 playoff series, making him the third player in history with 50 or more points scored twice in a postseason series.
Now, Mitchell seems poised to pick up where he left off last season, as the Jazz have won five straight games with him in the lineup since he missed Game 1 of their first-round series. Utah will look to secure its sixth straight victory on Friday in Game 2.
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With Mitchell leading the charge, the question remains: Is he ready to claim superstar status?
On Wednesday’s "First Things First," FOX Sports NBA analyst Chris Broussard said there's no doubt that Mitchell is one of today's greats, even though doubt still seems to exist.
"It is rare for a guy to average 26 points, five assists, lead his team in scoring, that team has the best record in the NBA, and he is nowhere near the MVP discussion," Broussard said.
"I think after this series, he will be viewed as a bona fide superstar. … Win or lose, to be honest … I think his status will [rise]. … It’s ironic the way Dwayne Wade was there in the front row because I think Mitchell plays like Wade."
Broussard’s co-host and former NFL Pro Bowler Brandon Marshall shared the same outlook on Mitchell, pointing out similarities between the Jazz's rising superstar and 13-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion Wade.
"It was the tale of two halves," Marshall said. "He was sensational. … He’s a throwback Dwayne Wade player with a better shot. He’s more consistent from the 3 … He got to the bucket anytime he wanted. … [The Clippers] looked amazing, and then all of a sudden, 'Spida' Mitchell kicked in that second half, and it was lights out."
But there are always two sides to a story.
Nick Wright, who previously said he looked at Mitchell "as a really good player" but "not a guy who’s going to be … the best guy on a team that could make the Finals," didn’t change his tune and wasn’t ready to say that Mitchell has reached superstardom.
"Am I ready to put him in that group of guys like Kawhi [Leonard], like KD [Kevin Durant], like LeBron [James], who you know are going to up their game and carry a team?" Wright said. "I’m not ready to do that yet, and I think that’s a bridge too far. However … he was absolutely brilliant last night, and so he is moving himself toward that, and the Jazz are gonna need a lot more of that, especially once the Clippers get their legs underneath them."
Mitchell will have the chance to sway those who are skeptical about attaching the superstar title to his name on Friday, when the Jazz hope to extend their 1-0 lead over the Clippers in Game 2.
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