In a recent interview, Utah Jazz point guard reaffirmed how much his teammate Donovan Mithell compares to Miami Heat legend Dwyne Wade.
This shouldn’t be news to anyone, but people can’t stop comparing 24-year old All-Star Donovan Mitchell to Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade. That much goes for fans, league executives, Wade himself, all the way down to Mitchell’s teammates on the Utah Jazz.
On the Heavy Live with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, point guard Emmanuel Mudiay reaffirmed the widespread consensus. He played next to Mitchell this year in what was his first campaign with the Jazz, who finished 44-28 in the regular season:
"“They got a lot of similarities when it comes to the game,” said Mudiay."
Utah gave up a three games to one series lead over the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the Western Conference’s side of the playoffs. Mitchell averaged 36.3 points, five rebounds, 4.9 assists, and a steal in the seven-game series loss.
Wade saw early career disappointment in the playoffs as well.
After winning his first championship in 2005-2006, there was a three-year stretch where he couldn’t lift the Miami Heat past the first round. But no matter the outcome, Wade always did involve all of his teammates, another quality Mudiay says Mitchell and the Heat lifer share:
"“…One thing about him is he loves the game and I seen him put in the work a lot and he’s one of those guys that he’s the man on the team but, he makes everybody feel like they’re very very important. And he’s learning as well. Me and him are the same age right now: 24. So he’s learning just as much and he’s going to get better and better in my opinion.”"
He’s going to need to get that much better if he’s to catch up with a historic career like Dwyane Wade’s. But as things stand, Donovan Mitchell is on the path to superstardom, with things only looking up regarding the future for both him and the Utah Jazz.
Regarding the Miami Heat, they’re currently amidst what they hope will finish out as a potential run at the title. After dropping Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Boston Celtics, they’ll once again look to eliminate them and advance to the Finals on Sunday night in Game 6.