Trae Young vs Donovan Mitchell

[nzahir]

Who is better to you guys, Trae Young or Donovan Mitchell?

Asking in general and also on a team with other stars who also have a high usage rate

[SlimShady83]

Donovan Mitchell Is the pipe dream not getting my hopes up for him

All In on the Trae train.

[Ray Donovan]

Mitchell

[shi-woo]

Donovan, and it's not even close. He just hasn't played for the right team to maximize his skillset, and we might never see it. There is no doubt in my mind though that you can win a ring with Mitch as 1 of your two best plauers.

For example, if you switched him and Brown for their careers, do you think Boston would have more or less success? I think Boston would probably already have a ring right now in that situation. (And that's the trade I hope happens if Boston doesn't win it all this year)

He was 1 piece short in UT, and is playing on a hodgepodge team right now in CLE. Give that guy a team built like the 2000-2010 Lakers and he can get you one. A big bodied PG who plays defense and bangs the open 3, a versatile swing, and a big man down low that is an all around player. That's all he needs to win you 50+ games and take you deep in the playoffs.

IDK why everyone keeps pairing him up with Centers that can't score and PG's that need the ball in their hands to be their best selves. The 2 players you should lowkey avoid when you have a dynamic sg that wants the ball in his hands and crashes the hoop. I truly believe CLE missed their chance of contending by not going all-in and trading DG for an elite level wing.

I've given up on Trae, and have no idea what the team built around him would even look like at this point. He is so bad defensively, and to get the most out of him offensively you have to conceed to his erratic play on that end. People will say Wemby, but that didn't exactly work with Capela and Onyeka, and wouldn't you much rather have a guy like Garland/Conley with your elite Center?

I don't think we see the best of Trae until he takes a step back and becomes a 3rd option on a team with an established defensive identity and elite wing play.

Mitchell 10 out of 10 and twice on Sundays

[_jin]

Donovan, and it's not even close. He just hasn't played for the right team to maximize his skillset, and we might never see it. There is no doubt in my mind though that you can win a ring with Mitch as 1 of your two best plauers.

For example, if you switched him and Brown for their careers, do you think Boston would have more or less success? I think Boston would probably already have a ring right now in that situation. (And that's the trade I hope happens if Boston doesn't win it all this year)

He was 1 piece short in UT, and is playing on a hodgepodge team right now in CLE. Give that guy a team built like the 2000-2010 Lakers and he can get you one. A big bodied PG who plays defense and bangs the open 3, a versatile swing, and a big man down low that is an all around player. That's all he needs to win you 50+ games and take you deep in the playoffs.

IDK why everyone keeps pairing him up with Centers that can't score and PG's that need the ball in their hands to be their best selves. The 2 players you should lowkey avoid when you have a dynamic sg that wants the ball in his hands and crashes the hoop. I truly believe CLE missed their chance of contending by not going all-in and trading DG for an elite level wing.

I've given up on Trae, and have no idea what the team built around him would even look like at this point. He is so bad defensively, and to get the most out of him offensively you have to conceed to his erratic play on that end. People will say Wemby, but that didn't exactly work with Capela and Onyeka, and wouldn't you much rather have a guy like Garland/Conley with your elite Center?

I don't think we see the best of Trae until he takes a step back and becomes a 3rd option on a team with an established defensive identity and elite wing play.

Mitchell 10 out of 10 and twice on Sundays

It's a bit misleading to make the argument that Mitchell hasnt been in the right situation when he's been on 2 teams with different rosters while Trae has only ever been on the same mediocre franchise. I'd pick Jazz or Cavs over Hawks anyday (not based on their current situation but on how those franchises are ran). And you also defend Mitchell by saying he has always been playing with centers that can't score while also blaming Trae for being in that exact same situation. I'd like to see Trae on a better franchise before making a definitive assessment of him.

[Bornstellar]

Either of them would make great Wemby sidekicks. I think I'd rather have Mitchell though despite him being slightly older.

[shi-woo]

Donovan, and it's not even close. He just hasn't played for the right team to maximize his skillset, and we might never see it. There is no doubt in my mind though that you can win a ring with Mitch as 1 of your two best plauers.

For example, if you switched him and Brown for their careers, do you think Boston would have more or less success? I think Boston would probably already have a ring right now in that situation. (And that's the trade I hope happens if Boston doesn't win it all this year)

He was 1 piece short in UT, and is playing on a hodgepodge team right now in CLE. Give that guy a team built like the 2000-2010 Lakers and he can get you one. A big bodied PG who plays defense and bangs the open 3, a versatile swing, and a big man down low that is an all around player. That's all he needs to win you 50+ games and take you deep in the playoffs.

IDK why everyone keeps pairing him up with Centers that can't score and PG's that need the ball in their hands to be their best selves. The 2 players you should lowkey avoid when you have a dynamic sg that wants the ball in his hands and crashes the hoop. I truly believe CLE missed their chance of contending by not going all-in and trading DG for an elite level wing.

I've given up on Trae, and have no idea what the team built around him would even look like at this point. He is so bad defensively, and to get the most out of him offensively you have to conceed to his erratic play on that end. People will say Wemby, but that didn't exactly work with Capela and Onyeka, and wouldn't you much rather have a guy like Garland/Conley with your elite Center?

I don't think we see the best of Trae until he takes a step back and becomes a 3rd option on a team with an established defensive identity and elite wing play.

Mitchell 10 out of 10 and twice on Sundays

It's a bit misleading to make the argument that Mitchell hasnt been in the right situation when he's been on 2 teams with different rosters while Trae has only ever been on the same mediocre franchise. I'd pick Jazz or Cavs over Hawks anyday (not based on their current situation but on how those franchises are ran). And you also defend Mitchell by saying he has always been playing with centers that can't score while also blaming Trae for being in that exact same situation. I'd like to see Trae on a better franchise before making a definitive assessment of him.

True, but I think with Trae his physical shortcomings and style of play really limit the type of players you put around him, and the type of team you need.

Celtics proved with IT you can make it work, but that team needed the perfect personal at every position, and needed a Wizard of a coach implementing systems that were fairly new to the NBA and teams were still learning.

That's going to be harder to find than just the basic roster construction changes I think Mitchel would need. You don't need to build your entire team around Mitchel, you're going to have to build your entire team around Trae, and that's where the difference in value comes in for me.

Mitch has made it work with his rosters, and looked good doing it. Trae has not really looked that good with his rosters outside of a cinderella run.

The OP also questioned how they would preform with other high usage players, which was what I geared my post towards. Mitchel would look incredible next to someone like Tatum or Jokic, or Jimmy ext I would question if Trae would be able to maximize that potential.

What would your ideal team/scenario for Trae look like? For me it would be on the Heat in the Hero role.

[Iwasawitness]

Donovan, and it's not even close. He just hasn't played for the right team to maximize his skillset, and we might never see it. There is no doubt in my mind though that you can win a ring with Mitch as 1 of your two best plauers.

For example, if you switched him and Brown for their careers, do you think Boston would have more or less success? I think Boston would probably already have a ring right now in that situation. (And that's the trade I hope happens if Boston doesn't win it all this year)

He was 1 piece short in UT, and is playing on a hodgepodge team right now in CLE. Give that guy a team built like the 2000-2010 Lakers and he can get you one. A big bodied PG who plays defense and bangs the open 3, a versatile swing, and a big man down low that is an all around player. That's all he needs to win you 50+ games and take you deep in the playoffs.

IDK why everyone keeps pairing him up with Centers that can't score and PG's that need the ball in their hands to be their best selves. The 2 players you should lowkey avoid when you have a dynamic sg that wants the ball in his hands and crashes the hoop. I truly believe CLE missed their chance of contending by not going all-in and trading DG for an elite level wing.

I've given up on Trae, and have no idea what the team built around him would even look like at this point. He is so bad defensively, and to get the most out of him offensively you have to conceed to his erratic play on that end. People will say Wemby, but that didn't exactly work with Capela and Onyeka, and wouldn't you much rather have a guy like Garland/Conley with your elite Center?

I don't think we see the best of Trae until he takes a step back and becomes a 3rd option on a team with an established defensive identity and elite wing play.

Mitchell 10 out of 10 and twice on Sundays

Did you really just say Garland needs the ball in his hands to be the best version of himself? Jarrett Allen can’t score? Bro your knowledge on the Cavaliers is severely lacking.

[Mr Loggins]

I think Garland would he an amazing Wemby sidekick. Problem is i don’t think there is enough San Antonio has that cleveland would want

[chilluminati]

I'll take the one that plays defense.

[_jin]

Donovan, and it's not even close. He just hasn't played for the right team to maximize his skillset, and we might never see it. There is no doubt in my mind though that you can win a ring with Mitch as 1 of your two best plauers.

For example, if you switched him and Brown for their careers, do you think Boston would have more or less success? I think Boston would probably already have a ring right now in that situation. (And that's the trade I hope happens if Boston doesn't win it all this year)

He was 1 piece short in UT, and is playing on a hodgepodge team right now in CLE. Give that guy a team built like the 2000-2010 Lakers and he can get you one. A big bodied PG who plays defense and bangs the open 3, a versatile swing, and a big man down low that is an all around player. That's all he needs to win you 50+ games and take you deep in the playoffs.

IDK why everyone keeps pairing him up with Centers that can't score and PG's that need the ball in their hands to be their best selves. The 2 players you should lowkey avoid when you have a dynamic sg that wants the ball in his hands and crashes the hoop. I truly believe CLE missed their chance of contending by not going all-in and trading DG for an elite level wing.

I've given up on Trae, and have no idea what the team built around him would even look like at this point. He is so bad defensively, and to get the most out of him offensively you have to conceed to his erratic play on that end. People will say Wemby, but that didn't exactly work with Capela and Onyeka, and wouldn't you much rather have a guy like Garland/Conley with your elite Center?

I don't think we see the best of Trae until he takes a step back and becomes a 3rd option on a team with an established defensive identity and elite wing play.

Mitchell 10 out of 10 and twice on Sundays

It's a bit misleading to make the argument that Mitchell hasnt been in the right situation when he's been on 2 teams with different rosters while Trae has only ever been on the same mediocre franchise. I'd pick Jazz or Cavs over Hawks anyday (not based on their current situation but on how those franchises are ran). And you also defend Mitchell by saying he has always been playing with centers that can't score while also blaming Trae for being in that exact same situation. I'd like to see Trae on a better franchise before making a definitive assessment of him.

True, but I think with Trae his physical shortcomings and style of play really limit the type of players you put around him, and the type of team you need.

Celtics proved with IT you can make it work, but that team needed the perfect personal at every position, and needed a Wizard of a coach implementing systems that were fairly new to the NBA and teams were still learning.

That's going to be harder to find than just the basic roster construction changes I think Mitchel would need. You don't need to build your entire team around Mitchel, you're going to have to build your entire team around Trae, and that's where the difference in value comes in for me.

Mitch has made it work with his rosters, and looked good doing it. Trae has not really looked that good with his rosters outside of a cinderella run.

The OP also questioned how they would preform with other high usage players, which was what I geared my post towards. Mitchel would look incredible next to someone like Tatum or Jokic, or Jimmy ext I would question if Trae would be able to maximize that potential.

What would your ideal team/scenario for Trae look like? For me it would be on the Heat in the Hero role.

Yea actually I kind of agree with you, I'd probably take Mitchell over Trae but I dont think the gap is as big as you made it sound. I also think Trae's personality is easier to handle, which can be important on a contender. I dont think Mitchell is high maintenance but he had his feud with Gobert in Utah. Trae has made nice improvements on defense this season, but Mitchell is still better on that end when he wants to turn it on.

I'm not sure what's the best situation for Trae. Of course Spurs have been mentioned a lot and he'd be a perfect fit offensively and he could be hidden on defense. I dont think Spurs are ready to splash just yet. Orlando is intriguing, they need playmaking and shooting, which are Trae's obvious strengths, and have great defensive guards who could backup Trae and cover for him. Heat is also a good shout, they really need a starting PG but I'm not sure he's a Riley type of player. He needs to avoid situations like Lakers or Suns, where he'll be the defacto scapegoat when they fail.

[bmurph128]

This is disrespectful to Mitchell lol.

I mean if we want to say he struggles in the playoffs that's.....fine. Numbers-wise it isn't true and its not like Young has had a ton of playoff success.

But this year Mitchell at least became a league average defender who excelled creating turnovers - that's about the best you can hope for in todays in NBA for a score-first PG.

I think Mitchell has to be your second best player to win a championship - swapping say, Mobley for Bridges would get the Cavs to the ECF in my opinion....but likely not a championship team.

[BadWolf]

I'll take the one that plays defense.

Me 2.
But we're discussing Mitchell and Young here.

[Ball4life32]

Donovan, and it's not even close. He just hasn't played for the right team to maximize his skillset, and we might never see it. There is no doubt in my mind though that you can win a ring with Mitch as 1 of your two best plauers.

For example, if you switched him and Brown for their careers, do you think Boston would have more or less success? I think Boston would probably already have a ring right now in that situation. (And that's the trade I hope happens if Boston doesn't win it all this year)

He was 1 piece short in UT, and is playing on a hodgepodge team right now in CLE. Give that guy a team built like the 2000-2010 Lakers and he can get you one. A big bodied PG who plays defense and bangs the open 3, a versatile swing, and a big man down low that is an all around player. That's all he needs to win you 50+ games and take you deep in the playoffs.

IDK why everyone keeps pairing him up with Centers that can't score and PG's that need the ball in their hands to be their best selves. The 2 players you should lowkey avoid when you have a dynamic sg that wants the ball in his hands and crashes the hoop. I truly believe CLE missed their chance of contending by not going all-in and trading DG for an elite level wing.

I've given up on Trae, and have no idea what the team built around him would even look like at this point. He is so bad defensively, and to get the most out of him offensively you have to conceed to his erratic play on that end. People will say Wemby, but that didn't exactly work with Capela and Onyeka, and wouldn't you much rather have a guy like Garland/Conley with your elite Center?

I don't think we see the best of Trae until he takes a step back and becomes a 3rd option on a team with an established defensive identity and elite wing play.

Mitchell 10 out of 10 and twice on Sundays

It's a bit misleading to make the argument that Mitchell hasnt been in the right situation when he's been on 2 teams with different rosters while Trae has only ever been on the same mediocre franchise. I'd pick Jazz or Cavs over Hawks anyday (not based on their current situation but on how those franchises are ran). And you also defend Mitchell by saying he has always been playing with centers that can't score while also blaming Trae for being in that exact same situation. I'd like to see Trae on a better franchise before making a definitive assessment of him.

True, but I think with Trae his physical shortcomings and style of play really limit the type of players you put around him, and the type of team you need.

Celtics proved with IT you can make it work, but that team needed the perfect personal at every position, and needed a Wizard of a coach implementing systems that were fairly new to the NBA and teams were still learning.

That's going to be harder to find than just the basic roster construction changes I think Mitchel would need. You don't need to build your entire team around Mitchel, you're going to have to build your entire team around Trae, and that's where the difference in value comes in for me.

Mitch has made it work with his rosters, and looked good doing it. Trae has not really looked that good with his rosters outside of a cinderella run.

The OP also questioned how they would preform with other high usage players, which was what I geared my post towards. Mitchel would look incredible next to someone like Tatum or Jokic, or Jimmy ext I would question if Trae would be able to maximize that potential.

What would your ideal team/scenario for Trae look like? For me it would be on the Heat in the Hero role.

Trae is far superior offensively than Herro. Hawks offense ranks last 4 years #7(before Trae inj), #6, #2, #8. Four top 8 offenses with him being the #1 option. Herro could never do that. I get the defensive concerns but Trae consistently leads top offenses due to his playmaking. And the only all star he’s played with he’s not a good fit with.

[Chuck Everett]

I'll take the one that plays defense.

So you'll take neither? Because rookie year Donovan Mitchell is long gone.

[Jamaaliver]

Mid season stats comparison:

Spoiler:

Read on Twitter

[Harry Garris]

I'll take the one that plays defense.

But.... why? Although Mitchell is a little better of a defender than Trae he's not great either. For both of these dudes 99% of their value and the reason they're on the court is the offensive side of the ball.

[Jamaaliver]

Donovan led teams are (by my rough count) 8-3 against Trae Young led Hawks.

[Funcrusher]

Mitchell's not a Trae level defender lmao. What are yall smoking?

[Harry Garris]

Mitchell's not a Trae level defender lmao. What are yall smoking?

He's not as bad as Trae, but he is the type of guy you're perfectly happy to attack if he gets switched onto you in a playoff game with your bigger wings (or if you're Jalen Brunson).

Small guards are always some level of defensive liability, even if they're a very solid defender against other players their size.