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NBA player comparison

Donovan Mitchell vs. Jayson Tatum: 2025–26 season

hussEyquation2025–26 season · regular-season impact
Regular-season verdict

Donovan Mitchell leads in impact for 2025–26

Donovan Mitchell ranks ahead of Jayson Tatum in estimated impact while playing. This compares regular-season performance, not total contribution across the season.

Impact comparison

Impact estimate is measured in points per 100 possessions above league average. Zero is average; higher is better. Impact Rate rank is a league place, not a 0–100 score: No. 1 is best.

+2.9LeadsImpact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.3
#9LeadsImpact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best#15
-0.25Estimated defensive impactSelected-season lineup estimate · points per 100 possessions+0.62Leads
+4.19LeadsEstimated offensive impactSelected-season lineup estimate · points per 100 possessions+1.31
2.1%Steal rate2.1%
11.1%Turnover rateLower is better; compare alongside offensive workload10.8%Leads
32.2%Offensive usage30.0%
61.3%LeadsTrue shooting %54.1%
27.9%LeadsAssist rateShare of teammates’ made shots assisted while on court25.1%
7.4%Rebound rateShare of available rebounds collected while on court16.8%Leads
70Games16
2,342Minutes522

Donovan Mitchell's estimated impact per 100 possessions was +2.9, compared with +2.3 for Jayson Tatum. This compares their impact while playing, not their total contribution across the season. Both players are compared in the 2025–26 season using its published Impact Rate. A ranked comparison requires at least 450 minutes for each player.

Donovan Mitchell: 70 games and 2,342 minutes. Jayson Tatum: 16 games and 522 minutes. Playing time matters when judging the whole season; the impact estimate above is a rate, not a season total.

Donovan Mitchell ended a larger share of his team’s possessions, so the turnover rates are not an equal-workload comparison. Offensive usage measures the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on the court—not every touch, pass, or act of playmaking. These rows provide context; they are not extra points added to the ranking.

Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.

2025–26 season · regular-season impacthusseyquation.com/compare/donovan-mitchell/jayson-tatum/2025-26

Behind the estimate

Why the model rates them this way

The model starts with each player’s recorded individual stats, then adjusts that estimate using lineup results. The first two rows add up to the final estimate. All figures are points per 100 possessions.

Donovan MitchellMetricJayson Tatum
+2.41LeadsFrom recorded individual stats+2.03
+0.50LeadsAdjustment from recent lineup results+0.24
+2.91LeadsFinal estimated impact+2.27

Lineup evidence: Donovan Mitchell — 3 seasons; Jayson Tatum — 3 seasons. This adjustment is not necessarily based on the selected season alone.

Offensive and defensive lineup estimates for the selected season

These selected-season estimates account for who played alongside and against each player. Positive means better than average; a positive defensive figure means fewer points allowed. They are separate estimates—not additional points added to the calculation above. They do not measure how much individual teammates improved.

Donovan MitchellMetricJayson Tatum
+4.19LeadsAdjusted offensive impact+1.31
-0.25Adjusted defensive impact+0.62Leads

What this does not establish: these figures do not prove that either player made his teammates shoot better. A verified teammate-shooting comparison is unavailable for this selected season. A small difference in the estimates is not a decisive basketball distinction.

Share this comparisonSocial card: every summary row. Link preview: six key figures.

Full comparison · 2025–26 season

Understand the numbers

Start with impact, then compare playing time and skills. Team results add context. These are not categories to tally into a winner.

1 · Ranking evidence

Impact: who ranks higher, and why?

The impact estimate compares performance while playing, not total contribution over the season. The individual-stat estimate plus the lineup adjustment gives the final estimate.

Impact: Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum
MetricDonovan MitchellJayson Tatum
Impact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.9Better result for this metric.+2.3
Impact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best#9Better result for this metric.#15
From recorded individual stats+2.41Better result for this metric.+2.03
Adjustment from recent lineup results+0.50Better result for this metric.+0.24

Donovan Mitchell: 3 seasons of lineup evidence. Jayson Tatum: 3 seasons of lineup evidence. The adjustment is not necessarily based on this season alone.

Show more stats: Impact
Impact: Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum
MetricDonovan MitchellJayson Tatum
Final estimated impact+2.91Better result for this metric.+2.27

2 · Playing time and responsibility

How much did each player take on?

Read games and minutes alongside impact. Offensive usage is the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on court. More usage is not automatically better.

Playing time and workload: Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum
MetricDonovan MitchellJayson Tatum
Games7016
Minutes2,342522
Offensive usage32.2%30.0%

3 · Individual skills

Where does each player have an advantage?

These figures describe the selected regular seasons. They provide context, not extra points added to the verdict. Green marks the better result for a metric, including lower turnover rates. Workload and shot-selection measures stay neutral. These rows are not votes toward the ranking.

Shooting

True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.

Shooting: Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum
MetricDonovan MitchellJayson Tatum
True shooting percentage61.3%Better result for this metric.54.1%
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum
MetricDonovan MitchellJayson Tatum
Field-goal percentage48.3%Better result for this metric.41.1%
Three-point percentage36.4%Better result for this metric.32.9%
Free-throw percentage86.5%Better result for this metric.82.3%
Three-point attempt rateShare of field-goal attempts taken from three; describes shot selection, not quality43.9%49.8%

Passing

Assist rate is the share of teammates’ made shots assisted while the player is on court. Read turnovers alongside offensive workload; lower turnover rate is generally better.

Passing: Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum
MetricDonovan MitchellJayson Tatum
Assist rateShare of teammates’ made shots assisted while on court27.9%Better result for this metric.25.1%
Assists per game5.7Better result for this metric.5.3
Show more stats: Passing
Passing: Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum
MetricDonovan MitchellJayson Tatum
Turnover rateLower is better; compare alongside offensive workload11.1%10.8%Better result for this metric.

Rebounding

Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.

Rebounding: Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum
MetricDonovan MitchellJayson Tatum
Rebound rateShare of available rebounds collected while on court7.4%16.8%Better result for this metric.
Rebounds per game4.510.0Better result for this metric.

Defense

Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.

Defense: Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum
MetricDonovan MitchellJayson Tatum
Steal rate2.1%2.1%
Show more stats: Defense
Defense: Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum
MetricDonovan MitchellJayson Tatum
Block rateShare of opponents’ two-point attempts blocked while on court0.8%Better result for this metric.0.6%

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum
MetricDonovan MitchellJayson Tatum
Points per game27.9Better result for this metric.21.8

4 · Team context, not ranking inputs

What happened with and without them?

A verified with/without comparison is unavailable for this scope. We do not substitute another season’s observations.

Selected-season adjusted lineup estimates

These account for who played alongside and against each player. Positive defense means fewer points allowed. They are separate from the observed results and are not additional points added to the model calculation.

Adjusted lineup estimates: Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum
MetricDonovan MitchellJayson Tatum
Adjusted offensive impact+4.19Better result for this metric.+1.31
Adjusted defensive impact-0.25+0.62Better result for this metric.

Four separate questions

Impact, winning, playoffs, and awards

These are different ways to understand a career. Only Regular Season Impact determines the hussEyquation verdict. The other three sections add basketball context without adding points or changing the rank.

Career to date. At least one player is active. Every total below stops after the latest completed season in this data; nothing is projected.

Ranking result

Regular Season Impact

Donovan Mitchell leads in impact for 2025–26.

Donovan MitchellMetricJayson Tatum
+2.9LeadsImpact estimateEstimated points per 100 possessions above league average · higher is better+2.3
#9LeadsImpact Rate rankLeague place · No. 1 is best#15

This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.

Context

Team Success

Jayson Tatum leads every available measure below.

Donovan MitchellMetricJayson Tatum
458Listed-team regular-season wins477Leads
63.8%Listed-team winning percentage66.4%Leads
550-win team seasons6Leads
160-win team seasons2Leads
9Playoff team seasons9

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.

Context

Playoff Résumé

Jayson Tatum leads every available measure below.

Donovan MitchellMetricJayson Tatum
9Playoff appearances9
81Playoff games127Leads
36Team playoff wins77Leads
0Finals appearances2Leads
0Championships1Leads

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.

Context

Awards

The advantages are split across the available measures.

Donovan MitchellMetricJayson Tatum
7LeadsAll-Star6
0MVP0
3All-NBA5Leads
0All-Defense0
0DPOY0
0Rookie of the Year0

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Major regular-season honors are recognition, not inputs to the impact ranking.

How each context field is counted
Listed-team regular-season wins
The sum of each listed team's final wins in every season the player represented that team.
Listed-team winning percentage
Those team wins divided by those teams' total regular-season games.
50- and 60-win team seasons
Listed team-seasons that finished with at least 50 or 60 wins. Shortened seasons are not projected to 82 games.
Team seasons reaching playoffs
Listed team-seasons in which that team qualified for the playoffs.
Playoff appearances and games
Postseasons and games in which the player appeared.
Team playoff wins
Team wins from those postseasons. They describe team results, not individual credit.
Finals appearances and championships
Seasons when the player appeared in the playoffs for the finalist or champion.
Awards
Recorded NBA selections and major regular-season honors. A zero means the source records none; Not available means the source field is missing.

Source and scope Basketball Reference, NBA seasons 1950–51 through 2025–26, accessed 2026-10-09. Active-career totals are results to date through the latest completed season in the source.

Selected seasons

Box impact

Both bars show the same NBA season. Missing or unqualified data does not establish a winner.

Donovan MitchellJayson Tatum

Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average

1

Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.

Both bars show the same NBA season. Missing or unqualified data does not establish a winner.