Will Donovan Mitchell Be A Superstar?

After the Utah Jazz won its 7th game in a row, Donovan Mitchell got interviewed by Shaquille O’Neal on TNT. O’Neal did not really ask a question, but rather said that Mitchell could never be a superstar. Mitchell replied, “Alright.” Shaq got a lot of backlash from NBA players around the league, saying that Mitchell was already a star and he should back off. Players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant had Mitchell’s back.

Basically, here is the data Mitchell’s points per game have increased every season. This year, Mitchell is averaging 24.3 points per game. Also, he’s his highest average ever is averaging 5 assists per game. Additionally, he may be on pace to average 25 ppg, 5 APG, and 5 RPG by the end of the season. That is truly elite company. Last year, players who did that were athletes like James Harden and Bradley Beal.

Also, during the winning streak, Mitchell has been on a tear. He is averaging 28 ppg while shooting above 50% from 2’s and 3’s while shooting close to 90% from the line. Sounds like elite scoring to us. Still, Shaq is going to qualify a superstar as someone who wins a championship. Mitchell can have the best stats in the world, but if he does not win, Shaq will think the same. But, if Mitchell does win, Shaq will say he inspired Mitchell. Either way, Shaq is feeling good about the situation, while Jazz fans and other pundits are left unhappy and unfulfilled to start this season.