NBA Playoffs 2021: Donovan Mitchell 'grateful' to have Dwyane Wade coaching him from the sidelines

Benyam Kidane

NBA Playoffs 2021: Donovan Mitchell 'grateful' to have Dwyane Wade coaching him from the sidelines image

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell turned in one of his best playoff performances in Game 1, overcoming a slow start to finish with 45 points in their 112-109 win over the LA Clippers. 

After scoring 13 points in the first half, he came to life after the break, dropping 32 of his points in the second half, getting some pointers from three-time champion and Jazz minority owner Dwyane Wade.

"It's great to have someone that I call my brother sitting courtside, being part of this organisation just trying to help me out and find ways to improve and not just for myself but finding ways with the team.

"I'm grateful that he's able to do that, not a lot of guys do that, especially in live-action in a playoff game."

 

 

Tonight marked Mitchell's fourth 40-point playoff game, tying him with Jazz legend Karl Malone for the most in franchise history. Malone played 193 playoff games, while Mitchell just put a bow on his 27th playoff game. 

The Jazz needed every one of those buckets, especially with point guard Mike Conley Jr. sidelined and the Jazz experiencing a tough shooting night to that point. They trailed 60-47 at the half, before Mitchell found his groove, going on a 10-2 personal run to bring his team back into the contest. 

He would finish with 16 points in the third quarter and towards the end of the period, could be seen absorbing instruction from the three-time champion, before going on to put his team up 1-0. 

"I continuously ask him what he sees," Mitchell said postgame of his interactions with Wade. "I know what I see, but sometimes you have a different perspective, especially sitting on the floor like that, being able to see what he sees in his mind.

"It's great to have your coaching staff, your players and then you have a Hall of Famer in Dwyane Wade, [asking] what do you see? How can I be more even efficient?" 

With his mentor now a big part of the franchise, Mitchell is looking more and more like 'D-Wade 2.0' as he continues to lead his team with these type of performances. 

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Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.