First, I really like this kid. I've been high on him all season long. I think he's better than Simmons and gets my vote for ROTY. However, an 82-game grind as "The Man" is very different from what's going on right now. Rubio has been the primary ball-handler and playmaker for the Jazz all season including the playoffs. This series is Mitchell's first taste at carrying a team and running the offense. Sure, he was great in game 2 and I like the kid a lot, but he's got a long ways to go. I'll hold off on Mitchell until I see how he plays when Ingles and Crowder can't make shots and he has to play at Harden/LeBron levels just to get a win.
Both in length and height. DWade is 6'4 with a 6'11.5 wingspan IIRC (Same as Michael Jordan and LeBron IIRC). Donovan Mitchell is listed at 6'3 which is ridiculous because he looks 6'1 at most. He made Westbrook look 6'6 and Harden too. Chris Paul is listed at 6'0 but most say he's probably 5'11, and Mitchell looks only 1.5-2" taller than CP3. But, yes, Mitchell does play much bigger than he looks and is very strongly built for a 6'1 SG. Still...hard to imagine a 6'1 SG being the face of the league after LeBron especially in Utah. EDIT: Just saw Mitchell listed at 6'1.25" barefoot at the draft. He looks that height in Shoes. He apparently has a 6'10" wingspan though which is amazing for his height. His body type reminds me of Ben Gordon and his play style reminds me of Wade with a better but still inconsistent jumper.
He's a STUD. The fact that he doesn't sweat, doesn't smile and doesn't frown is what sets him apart from the rest of the -- LOOK AT ME, LOVE ME, LOVE MEEEE, youngsters. Meanwhile, Embiid is all...
Donovan Mitchell is good and the future looka bright for him BUT, let’s not forget that Tyreke Evans averaged 20PPG along with 5 boards and 5 assists (20-5-5) in his rookie season and won ROY over Harden. Look where he is now and look where is Harden.
We'll know next season, I dun think Tyreke could have repeated that. Tyreke was on a very bad team. Donovan Mitchell is on a Top 4 team in the West.
His playstyle is very similar to Wade. Great body control in the air to finish. Explosive jumper but not breakneck speed like Rose. He doesn't dive to the hole as much as Wade did, so maybe his body will keep up longer than Wade's, especially since his jumper is better.
Not sure why you would expect a rookie to play like those guys who have already established themselves for years. I think he is already ahead of Lillard's rookie performance. And don't forget Lillard had Aldridge as the first option, not having to carry the team. Mitchell is the Jazz's number scoring option. His defense is also surprisingly good, part of that top ranked defense in the league.
I think the most impressive thing about Mitchell is how calm he is after hitting a big shot. Dude doesnt even look like his heart rate went up after big shots. He is a killer. Not just that but like someone said, he doesn't even break a sweat in long games it seems like.
Between Capela and Mitchell, I just wanted to emphasize both team's needs and exact fit those two players had. Of course Mitchell's role is much bigger than Capela's, like you said the game plan starts with him. It's weird and funny when you can say "the rookie was surrounded by good role players". Wow!
I've always thought Mitchell should be the ROY rather than Simmons. Simmons is being exposed in the playoffs, especially against the Celtics. Sure Simmons averaged a triple double BUT he plays in a weaker conference, a 3rd option in scoring (no pressure to carry his team when you got all these shooters and Embiid out there), and has no jump shot. Mitchell, as a rookie, CARRIED his team to the playoffs in the tough as nails west, defends the best player on the opposing team, and can step up in assists when the PG is out. Although ROY is awarded to the performance during the regular season, I can say that the playoffs justifies that Mitchell is the real deal while Simmons (who's still really good) is a work in progress.
