NBA: In-Depth Cases For the Top 3 Candidates

#3 He has been consistent throughout the season

Donovan Mitchell

If you look at Donovan Mitchell's competition among rookies, you'll find that many of them had an up-and-down season, even if in Ben Simmons' case it was more of a team problem than individually. The likes of Josh Jackson and De'Aaron Fox have had good second halves of the season, while Simmons is playing way better after being snubbed from the All-Star Game festivities than he was before.

If it weren't for a 7-game substitute appearance streak in the month of October, the rookie would have even better scoring statistics for the season. Indeed, since November, Mitchell has never scored below 20 points per game for a single month. He is averaging 22.5 points per game from December onwards. He has 7 games with 30 or more points in this time period and has only scored in single digits thrice.

Combined with the net defensive value Mitchell adds to the team (he's ranked #9 in the league in defensive win shares per game), his energy levels and the scoring bursts that he powers the team with every once in a while, he is a momentum-changer the like of which we are yet to see in this rookie class.