Adrian Dantley vs. Donovan Mitchell Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Donovan Mitchell and Adrian Dantley, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

Adrian Dantley played 15 years in the NBA, 7 more than Donovan Mitchell, who played 8. Adrian Dantley had the first of his seasons in 1976-77, while Donovan Mitchell had his rookie season in 2017-18. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achievements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Rookie Season
	Adrian Dantley	Donovan Mitchell
Season	1976-77	2017-18
Team	Buffalo Braves	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	Rookie of the Year	-
	All-Rookie First Team	All-Rookie First Team
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Jazz Lost West Conf Semis

more >>

Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	77	36.6	20.3	3.3	4.4	7.6	1.9	1.2	0.2	-	2.8	7.1	13.6	.520	-	-	-	6.2	7.6	.818
difference:	+2	+3.2	+0.2	+2.6	+1.3	+3.9	+1.8	+0.3	+0.1		-0.1	+0.4	+3.6	+.083				+3.2	+3.8	+.013
Donovan Mitchell	79	33.4	20.5	0.7	3.1	3.7	3.7	1.5	0.3	2.7	2.7	7.5	17.2	.437	2.4	7.0	.340	3.0	3.8	.805
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Donovan Mitchell	11	37.4	24.4	0.8	5.1	5.9	4.2	1.5	0.4	2.9	3.2	9.3	22.1	.420	2.3	7.3	.313	3.5	3.9	.907

Season 3
	Adrian Dantley	Donovan Mitchell
Season	1978-79	2019-20
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Lakers Lost West Conf Semis	Jazz Lost West Conf 1st Rd

more >>

3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	60	29.6	17.3	2.2	3.5	5.7	2.3	1.1	0.2	2.6	2.7	6.2	12.2	.510	-	-	-	4.9	5.7	.854
difference:	+9	+4.7	+6.7	+1.4	+0.1	+1.3	+2.0	+0.1		-0.1	-0.2	+2.5	+7.2	+.061				+0.9	+1.0	+.009
Donovan Mitchell	69	34.3	24.0	0.8	3.6	4.4	4.3	1.0	0.2	2.7	2.5	8.7	19.4	.449	2.5	6.9	.366	4.0	4.7	.863
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	8	29.5	17.6	1.3	2.9	4.1	1.4	0.8	0.1	2.4	3.0	6.3	11.1	.562	-	-	-	5.1	6.5	.788
difference:	+1	+8.2	+18.7	+0.4	+1.2	+0.9	+3.5	+0.2	+0.2	-1.7	-1.4	+5.6	+11.3	+.033				+2.8	+1.8	+.160
Donovan Mitchell	7	37.7	36.3	0.9	4.1	5.0	4.9	1.0	0.3	4.1	1.6	11.9	22.4	.529	4.7	9.1	.516	7.9	8.3	.948

Season 4
	Adrian Dantley	Donovan Mitchell
Season	1979-80	2020-21
Team	Utah Jazz	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Jazz Lost West Conf Semis

more >>

4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	68	39.3	28.0	2.7	4.9	7.6	2.8	1.4	0.2	3.4	3.1	10.7	18.6	.576	0.0	0.0	-	6.5	7.7	.842
difference:	+15	+5.9	+1.6	+1.8	+1.4	+3.2	+2.4	+0.4	+0.1	-0.6	-0.9	+1.7	+2.0	+.138	+3.4	+8.7		+1.5	+1.7	+.003
Donovan Mitchell	53	33.4	26.4	0.9	3.5	4.4	5.2	1.0	0.3	2.8	2.2	9.0	20.6	.438	3.4	8.7	.386	5.0	6.0	.845
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Donovan Mitchell	10	34.6	32.3	0.3	3.9	4.2	5.5	1.1	0.2	2.8	2.0	10.5	23.5	.447	5.0	11.5	.435	6.3	7.6	.829

Season 5
	Adrian Dantley	Donovan Mitchell
Season	1980-81	2021-22
Team	Utah Jazz	Utah Jazz
Honors & Awards	All-NBA Second Team	-
	Scoring Leader	-
	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Jazz Lost West Conf 1st Rd

more >>

5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	80	42.7	30.7	2.4	4.0	6.4	4.0	1.4	0.2	3.5	3.1	11.4	20.3	.559	0.0	0.1	.286	7.9	9.8	.806
difference:	+13	+8.9	+4.8	+1.6	+0.6	+2.2	+1.3	+0.1		-0.5	-0.7	+2.2	+0.2	+.111	+3.5	+9.7	+.069	+3.9	+5.1	+.047
Donovan Mitchell	67	33.8	25.9	0.8	3.4	4.2	5.3	1.5	0.2	3.0	2.4	9.2	20.5	.448	3.5	9.8	.355	4.0	4.7	.853
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Donovan Mitchell	6	38.2	25.5	1.0	3.3	4.3	5.7	0.7	0.5	2.7	2.3	8.8	22.2	.398	1.7	8.0	.208	6.2	7.0	.881

Season 6
	Adrian Dantley	Donovan Mitchell
Season	1981-82	2022-23
Team	Utah Jazz	Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA Second Team
	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Cavaliers Lost East Conf 1st Rd

more >>

6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	81	39.8	30.3	2.9	3.5	6.3	4.0	1.2	0.2	3.7	3.1	11.2	19.6	.570	0.0	0.0	-	8.0	10.1	.792
difference:	+13	+4.0	+2.0	+2.0	+0.2	+2.0	+0.4	+0.3	+0.2	-1.1	-0.6	+1.2	+1.0	+.086	+3.6	+9.3		+3.3	+4.7	+.075
Donovan Mitchell	68	35.8	28.3	0.9	3.3	4.3	4.4	1.5	0.4	2.6	2.5	10.0	20.6	.484	3.6	9.3	.386	4.7	5.4	.867
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Donovan Mitchell	5	41.4	23.2	0.6	4.4	5.0	7.2	2.0	0.6	3.8	2.8	9.0	20.8	.433	2.6	9.0	.289	2.6	3.6	.722

Season 7
	Adrian Dantley	Donovan Mitchell
Season	1982-83	2023-24
Team	Utah Jazz	Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	Cavaliers Lost East Conf Semis

more >>

7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	22	40.3	30.7	2.6	3.7	6.4	4.8	0.9	0.0	3.7	2.8	10.6	18.3	.580	0.0	0.0	-	9.5	11.3	.847
difference:	+33	+5.0	+4.1	+1.8	+0.6	+1.3	+1.3	+0.9	+0.5	-0.9	-0.7	+1.5	+1.5	+.118	+3.3	+9.0		+4.5	+5.5	+.018
Donovan Mitchell	55	35.3	26.6	0.8	4.3	5.1	6.1	1.8	0.5	2.8	2.1	9.1	19.8	.462	3.3	9.0	.368	5.0	5.8	.865
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Donovan Mitchell	10	38.2	29.6	0.6	4.8	5.4	4.7	1.3	0.3	2.8	2.9	10.7	22.5	.476	2.9	8.2	.354	5.3	6.5	.815

Season 8
	Adrian Dantley	Donovan Mitchell
Season	1983-84	2024-25
Team	Utah Jazz	Cleveland Cavaliers
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA First Team
	All-NBA Second Team	-
	Scoring Leader	-
	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Jazz Lost West Conf Semis	Cavaliers Lost East Conf Semis

more >>

8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	79	37.8	30.6	2.3	3.4	5.7	3.9	0.8	0.1	3.3	2.5	10.2	18.2	.558	0.0	0.1	.250	10.3	12.0	.859
difference:	+8	+6.4	+6.6	+1.5	+0.3	+1.2	+1.1	+0.5	+0.1	-1.2	-0.5	+2.0	+0.4	+.115	+3.3	+8.8	+.118	+6.1	+6.9	+.036
Donovan Mitchell	71	31.4	24.0	0.8	3.7	4.5	5.0	1.3	0.2	2.1	2.0	8.2	18.6	.443	3.3	8.9	.368	4.2	5.1	.823
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Adrian Dantley	11	41.3	32.2	3.4	4.2	7.5	4.2	0.9	0.1	3.5	2.7	10.6	21.1	.504	0.0	0.0	-	10.9	12.6	.863
difference:	+2	+9.3	+2.6	+2.2	+0.8	+2.8	+0.3	+1.0	+0.2	-1.6	-0.7	+1.0	+0.5	+.061	+3.1	+9.3		+3.6	+2.7	+.121
Donovan Mitchell	9	32.0	29.6	1.2	3.4	4.7	3.9	1.9	0.3	1.9	2.0	9.6	21.6	.443	3.1	9.3	.333	7.3	9.9	.742

Additional Years
* Adrian Dantley played 7 seasons more than Donovan Mitchell in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 9 to 15, from 1985 to 1991—Adrian Dantley played in 4 Playoffs. In those 7 extra years over Donovan Mitchell, Adrian Dantley got these achievements:
Honors & Awards	2 All-Star Game