Avery Bradley
We’re going to start it off strong with maybe the closest match we have to Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell himself said he tries to model his game after Avery Bradley. He is one of the top defensive guards in the league. He is ultra-competitive, and raises his competitive nature against the top scorers in the league.
Avery is 6-foot-3 with a wingspan over 6-foot-7, which makes it capable for him to guard anyone from point guards to small forwards. On-ball, he moves his feet well, has terrific anticipation and uses his quick hands and long arms to create turnovers.
As a combo guard with similar height, a longer wingspan and a higher vertical, Mitchell compares similarly to the type of defender Bradley is.
Interesting note: Mitchell said he tries to model his game after Avery Bradley. https://t.co/IaJDHH3uPs
— Tom Westerholm (@Tom_NBA) August 22, 2017
Offensively is where Mitchell could be a step above Bradley. Although Bradley is no slouch offensively (he scored 16.3 points per game last season), he is not a guy who is going to average 20 points a game.
They have similarities though. Bradley has proven himself a capable shooter, shooting 39 percent from 3-point range last season. If Mitchell can get to a point in his career where he is shooting 39 percent from three, Jazz fans should be ecstatic.
He is also more athletic than people give him credit for as well. He put up a 37.5-inch max vertical leap at the draft combine in 2011, and he has been able to use that athleticism to surprise opponents at the rim.
The Jazz are hoping Mitchell can be a better version of Avery Bradley. A lockdown defensive player, who is capable of scoring 20 points a game. Ultimately, the Jazz would be happy if Mitchell simply got to the level of Bradley. Bradley may never be an All-Star, but he is a sure-fire, top-end starter in the league.