Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has often been compared to NBA legend Dwyane Wade. And the latter believes the former is ready for a statement season in 2018-19.
On more than one occasion, Donovan Mitchell‘s game has been compared to that of NBA legend Dwyane Wade. Considering Wade’s impressive professional resume, I’d say that’s quite the compliment and if Mitchell can put together half as brilliant of a career as Wade’s, he’s going to be an incredible player.
One of the most encouraging things about this comparison is that Dwyane Wade took a major leap from his rookie to sophomore season. Wade elevated his scoring from 16.2 points per game to 24.1, his shooting percentage from 46.5 percent to 47.8, his assists from 4.5 to 6.8 and his plus/minus from 1.4 to 5.2, to name a few meaningful stats.
Mitchell’s incredible rookie season was even more impressive than Wade’s, but if he’s able to take an equivalent leap from year one to year two, then he’ll essentially be propelling himself into super-stardom in his sophomore season. We’ve already seen shades of Mitchell’s brilliance, such as in his 41-point outpouring against the New Orleans Pelicans last regular season and his mind-blowing performances in his first-ever playoffs, particularly against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
But Jazz fans hope and expect to see even more from him in year two. The question, will Mitchell be able to do just that? Is he ready to make such a leap?
That same question was recently posed on Twitter by HoopsHype’s Alex Kennedy. And the former rookie sensation turned NBA legend himself, Dwyane Wade, just so happened to chime in with a simple response–
“He’s definitely ready.”
He’s definitely ready. https://t.co/eem1W67Dt5
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) September 15, 2018
One of the most exciting and unique things about Donovan Mitchell throughout his rookie campaign was the obvious respect he received and even the friendship he enjoyed with stars throughout the league. Guys like Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, LeBron James, DeMarcus Cousins and DeMar DeRozan are just a few of the many elite NBA players that have shown some degree of praise and/or closeness with Mitchell.
And Wade is obviously a big fan and believer as well. Recently, Mitchell participated in a training camp put on by Dwyane Wade, and I’m sure their relationship grew even further as Mitchell learned from the savvy vet while also proving his capability as a rising star in this league.
Wade is undoubtedly one of the greatest to ever play the game, especially in this generation. Few rookie guards have taken the league by storm as he did until Donovan Mitchell burst onto the scene in 2017-18. Wade went on to have a prolific NBA career with multiple championship victories.
If the comparison holds true and Mitchell can continue to follow in Wade’s footprints, than he and his Jazz team are in for an extremely bright and exciting future.