Mover over John Stockton! Heads up, Joe Ingles!
Here comes Donovan Mitchell.
When Mitchell drilled a three-pointer late in the first quarter of Monday's game against Detroit, he officially passed Stockton for No. 2 all-time in made three-pointers in Utah Jazz history. Mitchell now sits at 846 for his career, still trailing Ingles and his 1,060 made three-pointers for the all-time lead.
What makes Mitchell passing Stockton so impressive isn't necessarily the number of three's made — it's the number of games it took him to do so.
It took Stockton 1,504 career games to hit 845 three-pointers. However, Mitchell did it in just 315 games, averaging 2.7 made three-pointers per game throughout his career.
Now in his fifth season out of Louisville, Mitchell is undoubtedly playing the best basketball of his career at the moment.
As announced on Jan. 4, Mitchell was named the Western Conference Player of the Month. It was the first such accolade of his career and the first time a member of the Jazz had won the award since Deron Williams back in Nov. 2010.
He averaged 30.2 points, 5.0 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 34.2 minutes per game throughout December. While those are excellent numbers, what set him apart was the efficiency he was able to score at, shooting 50.2% from the field, 37.7% from three-point territory, and 87% from the free throw line.
Mitchell was initially viewed as an athletically elite '3-and-D' player after being drafted by the Jazz with the No. 13 pick in the 2017 NBA draft.
Often talking about how his game has evolved over the past five years, Mitchell never viewed himself solely as a '3-and-D' type of player. While he acknowledges he made his mark his rookie season on the defensive end, his offensive evolution is what's made the difference in him going from good to great, leading to multiple all-star appearances.
Where he's thrived and evolved the most and what makes him special is his unique ability to affect the game in multiple ways.
As a player, he's improved his vision and passing to help get others involved — but his feel for knowing when and where to attack is at an all-time high. He plays the game with such confidence and high IQ that there's rarely a situation where he feels out of sorts or rushed.
Offensively, he's so dynamite and effective in the paint as the multiple ways he can finish at the rim is rare in the sport. Listed at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, Mitchell is strong enough to score around the rim but also athletic enough to create separation for his shot beyond the arc. His acrobatic finishes and crossovers are quickly becoming the stuff of legends at Vivint Arena.
After passing Stockton, Mitchell now has eyes set on Ingles, his teammate, since he came into the league.