It's probably unfair to compare a young player to an established star.

Justise Winslow, for one, hasn't been too keen to the comparisons, even if they've been complimentary. He wants to be his own person, his own player, and that's understandable.

Still, one reason that I've done it so often is to remind fans to be patient, because current stars weren't always stars.

So, with Winslow likely to return from a sprained ankle for Sunday's 6 p.m. game against Washington, here's a look at how his rookie year compares so far to that of a similar-styled player, the Spurs' Kawhi Leonard:

Minutes: Winslow 27.3, Leonard 24.0

Points: Leonard 7.9, Winslow 5.9

Field goal percentage: Leonard 49.3%, Winslow 41.7%

Free throw percentage: Leonard 77.3%, Winslow 65.2%

Rebounds: Leonard 5.1, Winslow 4.7

Assists: Winslow 1.3, Leonard 1.1

Steals: Leonard 1.3, Winslow 0.8

Turnovers: Leonard 0.7, Winslow 1.5

There's also a huge difference in offensive rating -- Leonard 119 to Winslow 91 -- though the players' respective situations play a part.

So, yes, Leonard was tracking better. But there's still more than half a season to play. And Leonard was one year older, with one more year of collegiate experience, prior to entering the NBA.

Provided that Winslow doesn't have a blindside collision with the rookie wall -- and this break may ultimately help him avoid that a little longer -- he should be able to make up a little ground.

What's he learned this season so far?

"Everybody's good," Winslow said, smiling.

He is too, at least on the defensive end -- though, over time, he will likely get much better at everything.