Timberwolves: Comparing Anthony Edwards and Donovan Mitchell’s sophomore season – can Ant reach NBA stardom?
There’s a lot to like about Anthony Edwards, and his potential is through the roof. There have been some growing pains, but that’s common for any young budding star. Oddly enough, there are a lot of similarities between his game and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz.
Let’s take a quick glimpse at their physical profile:
- Height:
- Mitchell: 6’1
- Edwards: 6’4
- Weight:
- Mitchell: 215 lb.
- Edwards: 225 lb.
- Wingspan:
- Mitchell: 6’10
- Edwards: 6’9
- Vertical:
- Mitchell: 40.5″
- Edwards: 41.5″
There’s a lot of similarities, and both players can leap out of the gym. Going into the NBA draft, Mitchell was originally listed at 6-foot-3, but Basketball Reference currently has him at 6-foot-1. Their height is really the only physical trait that’s different.
Scoring:
Mithell entered the NBA as a natural scorer, but there were question marks about whether or not he can take a team to the next level. The Jazz have been a good team since he’s been in the league, but this season Utah is a dominant force because of his play.
Mitchell was largely inefficient shooting the ball early in his career, going 43.2 percent from the field in year two.
A lot of people questioned Edwards’s ability to score efficiently in the NBA. Rightfully so, there were a lot of games at Georgia in which he didn’t shoot the ball well.
That has been the case for him in the NBA as well.
For example, on Nov. 10 against the Golden State Warriors, Edwards scored 48 points and shot 59.3 percent from the field and 53.8 from 3. The next game he scored nine on 36.4 percent from the field and 20.0 from 3.
We have to remember that he’s only 20 years old and has played a total of 103 games. That’s a little more than a season’s worth. This year he’s averaging 22.3 points and shooting 43.9 from the field and 36.0 from 3.
Sophomore season comparison:
- Mitchell: .432/.362/.806
- Edwards: .439/.360/.781
Defense:
Opposing teams used to target Mitchell on defense, but he’s done a better job cleaning some things up. His defensive rating is 108.7, which is trending in the wrong direction, but the NBA is only going to get better offensively.
The defense has been an emphasis for Edwards entering the season. If you don’t remember, his goal this year was to average two-to-three steals per game. That’s not a definition of a good defensive player, but it does help.
He’s currently averaging 1.6 steals.
Minnesota has been better defensively this season, which is why Edwards’s defensive rating has gone from 115.6 to 106.2. He has to do a better job focusing on defense because too many times he’s caught sleeping.
Sophomore season comparison:
- Mitchell: 1.4 steals, 0.4 blocks, 103.7 defensive rating
- Edwards: 1.6 steals, 0.7 blocks, 106.2 defensive rating
Usage:
Both Mitchell and Edwards have been high-level usage players because of their ability to create their own shots.
Mitchell had a usage rate of 32.2 percent in his second season, which isn’t surprising given Utah’s roster archetype.
When you have a high usage rate, you’re probably going to have a higher turnover percentage. Mitchell did a great job taking care of the ball, turning it over 11.1 percent of the time.
Edwards has struggled heavily when running the point or as the lead ball-handler. This season his usage rate is 27.5 percent, and he’s turned it over 14.1 percent. You’d like to see that turnover percentage under 10.
Eventually, he will improve, but Edwards has to do a better job taking care of the ball and making smarter decisions.
Sophomore season comparison:
- Mitchell: 32.2% usage rate, 11.1% turnover percentage
- Edwards: 27.5% usage rate, 14.1% turnover percentage
Overview:
There are a lot of similarities between Mitchell and Edwards, both physically and statistically. Edwards hasn’t hit Mitchell’s level of stardom, but there’s hope that he can one day be as good, if not better. As long as Edwards continues to improve, he should be able to ascend to elite status.
