Donovan Mitchell Earns Third Straight All-Star Nod
Feb 3, 2022, 5:07 PM | Updated: 5:13 pm
Donovan Mitchell #45 of Team Durant reacts against Team James during the first half in the 70th NBA All-Star Game at State Farm Arena on March 07, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell has been named an All-Star for the third consecutive season. The offensive dynamo was selected by the league’s coaches as one of seven reserves to represent the Western Conference in the game.
Mitchell is having another terrific season for the Jazz leading the team in scoring, three-pointers made, and steals in his fifth NBA season.
The now three-time All-Star is averaging 25.5 points, 5.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals while shooting a career-best .528 effective field goal percentage.
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Mitchell is on pace to become only the sixth player since 2000 to average at least 23 points per game over the first five years of his NBA career joining LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid.
The Jazz currently sit at 31-21 and in fourth place in the Western Conference standings, after a disastrous January that saw the team finish with a 4-12 record.
However, the Jazz’s struggles were in part due to the absence of Mitchell for a long stretch of games. The guard missed eight games during the month, including seven straight games after suffering a concussion against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 17.
The @NBA announced the Eastern and Western Conference #NBAAllStar starters. 🏀 https://t.co/6dLz5cAVAW
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 28, 2022
Last week, Stephen Curry, Ja Morant, Andrew Wiggins, LeBron James, and Nikola Jokic were named as the starting pool of players from the Western Conference.
Those players were chosen by a combination of fan, player, and media voting. Mitchell received the ninth most votes by fellow players, the fifth most votes by the media, finished eighth among Western Conference guards in the fan vote.
After the initial five starters are selected by the combination vote, NBA coaches fill out the remaining seven spots on the All-Star rosters.
Those players then enter a draft pool for the All-Star game, with teams being chosen by captains from the Easter and Western Conferences. Just as they did last season, LeBron James and Kevin Durant will serve as captains for the two teams after receiving the most votes during the initial voting process.
The 2022 NBA All-Star game will be played on February 20 in Cleveland, Ohio. The All-Star weekend will include a revamped rookie-sophomore tournament, the three-point shooting competition, skills challenge, and dunk contest before Sunday’s main event.
Mitchell has averaged 11.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in his two previous All-Star appearances.
