Donovan Mitchell took the NBA by storm in his rookie season for the Utah Jazz. He quickly gained the admiration and respect of players and media league wide. Termed as a budding star, he began drawing comparisons to the game’s best. One of the most common comparisons, as well as most lofty, is Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade. I usually hesitate with player comparisons, particularly to a first ballot hall of famer like Wade, but could Donovan Mitchell really be the next Dwyane Wade?

Measureables

We’ll start off with simple body composition and athletic abilities. Both players are explosive athletes at the shooting guard position. Dwyane Wade stands at 6’4″ while Donovan Mitchell comes in at 6’3″. They have equally impressive wingspans that have proven beneficial in their careers. Wade’s wingspan is 6’11” and Mitchell’s is 6’10”. Unsurprisingly given their highlight reals, both players also have ridiculous verticals. Wade reportedly had a standing leap of 31.5″ and max of 35″. Donovan has a slight advantage here with a standing leap of 36.5″ and max of 40.5″.

Style

These physical similarities have led to similar playing styles. Both guys attack the rim with purpose, yet finesse. They can dunk over you or acrobatically finish around you. They have multiple ways of attacking their defender and can score from anywhere on the floor. Most of the stats I’ll look into will compare their rookie and sophomore campaigns. For these shooting charts, however, I’ll include just the current season because the NBA has a greater emphasis on 3 pointers now than when Wade first entered the league.

Mitchell’s Shot Chart

Wade’s Shot Chart

Other than the difference in volume, these are nearly identical. The shot distribution from at the rim and 3 pointers is eerily similar. Even down to both players preferring the left side of the court despite being right handed. For example, they both love to use their elite on-ball speed after a hesitation move from that left side of the court on drives. From euro steps to finishing with the near hand off the wrong foot, these two really do look a lot a like on the court.

Rookie Seasons

“He’s Dwyane Wade with a jump shot.” Again, I am not a fan of comparing a rookie player to an all-time great, especially adding that he’ll actually be better. Than one of the best to ever play the game. Before he had even completed one season of NBA basketball. However, looking at the first season of each player you can see where the comparison is coming from.

Their per game and advanced statistics show two high-usage, all around guards. From scoring to passing to rebounding, both players were very involved in their team’s success. In fact, the end results of their rookie seasons were quite similar as well. Wade’s Heat finished the season 42-40 and ended up as the 4th seed in the East. They won their first round matchup against the Hornets, but fell short against the Pacers in 6 games. Mitchell’s Jazz finished as the 5th seed in the West at 48-34. They took down the Thunder in round 1, but fell to the Rockets in 5 games in round 2.

There are a few big differences that I notice in their rookie seasons. Mitchell’s 3 point rate is significantly higher than Wade’s, which points to the different eras they played in. Wade counters with a much higher free throw rate, something Mitchell could really learn from. I also can’t help but notice that Dwyane has a much higher AST%, which isn’t surprising given the scoring load Donovan has to carry for the Jazz. Overall, however, Mitchell does compare well to a young Dwyane Wade.

Sophomore Seasons

This is where things get more interesting. The comparison stays pretty similar, but those initial differences become more pronounced. For example, I would love to see Donovan develop an elite ability to get to the free throw line like Wade did. Dwyane also took a bigger leap than Donovan has so far. With the addition of Shaquille O’Neal, Wade blossomed into a bonafide all-star. His TS% shows that despite Mitchell’s advantage beyond the ark, Wade was a better scorer at this point in their respective careers.

Mitchell got off to a fairly slow start last year, obviously finishing very strong. With how excessively difficult Utah’s schedule has been to start this season, I would expect a similar progression in Mitchell’s game again. By season’s end I think these two stars might look like more similar players again.

Player Grades

Obviously Dwyane Wade is well past his prime and Donovan Mitchell hasn’t entered his yet. That being said, I think looking at their player grades can further show whether or not these two players are similar.

Their player grades also show fairly similar strengths and weaknesses. They are both impressive one on one players that can make plays for themselves and their teammates. Neither one is an elite perimeter shooter, although Wade is having the best of his career so far. Both are good but not great perimeter defenders. This also goes to show that D-Wade of a few years ago is still ahead of where Donovan is right now. However, I think this will be more interesting following Donovan’s complete 2nd season.

Is Donovan Mitchell the next Dwyane Wade?

Maybe. He still has a long ways to go to ever reach the peak that Wade did. He needs to study Wade’s film on how to get to the free throw line for sure. He also needs to improve as a finisher around the rim. And he needs to capitalize on his better outside shooting by ensuring he takes the best type of shots, not just the one the defense gives him. But their athletic abilities are pretty similar and their styles aren’t too indifferent. He certainly got off to the right start and has all the tools to develop into a superstar. How will his game progress and will he compare after year 2?