Regardless of Media Voting, Donovan Mitchell is Already Rookie of the Year

Donovan Mitchell had an unbelievable rookie year. Why, in his own words, the opinion of the media doesn’t matter.

Related Story: 5 Reasons Donovan Mitchell Should Be ROY

365 days ago, no one would have thought Donovan Mitchell being in the Kia Rookie of the Year conversation was possible. Mitchell was considered a potential role player with solid upside going into the season, after at one time being a likely second round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Quickly, however, Mitchell began turning heads with his play. Ridiculous athleticism, ability to get in the lane at will, and an ever-improving perimeter game started giving Mitchell a palpable buzz. But, it was his leadership abilities on and off the court that pushed him over-the-top towards superstardom.

By the All-Star break, Mitchell had been snubbed for the All-Star game itself as well as the dunk contest. But, an injury led to a much-deserved invite to the contest that he ended up winning after some pretty impressive throw-back themed slams.

This performance propelled him into a different stratosphere as far as rookie popularity is concerned. By the end of the season, Mitchell was a clear leader of a team that was well out of the playoff race to one competing for home court advantage in the first round. Along the way, Mitchell averaged 20.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Mitchell took the Jazz from a bottom tier team to one that went 28-6 in their last 34 games in a tough Western Conference.

Mitchell has had fun with the media, playing along with Adidas’s ad campaign for Mitchell as Rookie of the Year. He has made the “Rookie?” shirts a national sensation, playing off of the fact that ROY competitor Ben Simmons sat out a year after college. He has made all of the right moves, and said all of the right things throughout the process.

The question is not whether or not Mitchell deserves the Rookie of the Year, it’s whether or not the media was perceptive enough to vote him as such. He already was voted on by his peers as ROY, but does the media vote truly matter to him? When the award is announced tonight, we’ll find out what’s valued more, wins or triple doubles.

“Do I want to win it? Yes. Do I think I will? Probably not,” Mitchell told JJ Reddick on his podcast. “But I won the award from my peers, so I don’t care what analysts think, they’re not the ones who have to guard me.”

Not much needs to be added to that. Mitchell has earned something that most players take years to get from All-Stars in the league: Respect.

As we wrote last month, so much can be said of Mitchell’s first year. It was unprecedented. He broke dozens of records. But the most telling of all, is how those around him reacted. Russell Westbrook, who Mitchell idolized in high school and college, took time to speak with him and gave him high praise after being defeated in the first round of the playoffs. Chris Paul said Mitchell was like his little brother, who he talks to all of the time. Lebron James said Mitchell is a player, has got game, and isn’t afraid of the moment.

No matter what light the media tries to paint him in, or where his career goes from this point forward, Mitchell is undoubtedly the Kia Rookie of the Year.

Donovan Mitchell, aka Spida D, is and always will be #MYROOKIE

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