Mitchell Climbs One Spot In NBA All-Star Voting
Feb 11, 2021, 12:11 PM | Updated: 12:12 pm
Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell at the NBA All-Star game (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Donovan Mitchell climbed one spot in the second round of voting ahead of March’s NBA All-Star game.
The Utah Jazz guard moved from fifth in the initial round of voting to fourth among guards in the Western Conference.
Last week Mitchell debuted at five in the voting pool behind Golden Stare Warriors guard Steph Curry, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant.
Donovan Mitchell climbed one spot in All-Star voting.
Still no Gobert or Conley. pic.twitter.com/HiAmZZCmYL
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) February 11, 2021
Mitchell leaped Morant and now leads the second-year guard by nearly 45,000 votes. The Jazz own the best record in the NBA at 20-5 and earned a high-profile win on Tuesday over the Boston Celtics on TNT.
After the game, Mitchell’s name began to generate MVP buzz from former NBA players thanks to his 36 point, nine rebound, four assist outing.
Even Mitchell’s former Louisville coach Rick Pitino weighed in on the discussion on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“He’s winning, he’s the best player, he’s got an awesome attitude,” Pitino said. “So without question, he should be in the mix.”
"It doesn't make any sense to me."
Donovan Mitchell's college coach Rick Pitino tells @TheFrankIsola & @Mitch_Lawrence that he doesn't understand why the @utahjazz guard isn't in the MVP conversation. #TakeNote | #GoCards pic.twitter.com/4scBXo5JN7
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 11, 2021
Conley and Gobert Left Out Of All-Star Voting
While Mitchell is beginning to see more recognition for his play this season, neither Jazz guard Mike Conley nor center Rudy Gobert found their names among the top ten players in either the frontcourt or backcourt in the Western Conference.
Conley has never been named to the All-Star team despite being among the top guards in the Western Conference on an annual basis. The guard is averaging 16.5 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.7 rebounds while leading the NBA in plus-minus at +265 on the season.
The #NBAAllStar case for @UtahJazz guard #MikeConley.
(By the way, if you retweet this, it counts as an All-Star vote for Mike!)#TakeNote https://t.co/nVuknqCbZ8
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 3, 2021
Gobert was named to his first All-Star team last season and is averaging 13.4 points, 13.5 rebounds, and a career-high 2.7 blocks for the Jazz this season. He sits behind Conley for second place on the NBA’s plus-minus ranking at +227.
The NBA will name All-Star starters using a combination of fan voting and voting from current NBA players and media. The vote is split evenly to name two backcourt starters and three court starters.
With all three Jazz hopefuls trailing the leading vote-getters by significant margins, Mitchell, Gobert, and Conley’s most likely pathway to the game is to be selected by the league’s coaches as All-Star reserves.
Want to see #RudyGobert in the #NBAAllStar game?
Retweet this and read why the @utahjazz center should be a shoo-in for the honor. #TakeNote https://t.co/Q0sugOqGRQ
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) February 4, 2021
The league will name its All-Star starters next Thursday, while reserves will be named the following Tuesday on February 23. The reserves include three additional frontcourt players, two backcourt players, and two wildcard players.
