With the 9th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft the Sacramento Kings have selected Davion Mitchell. This comes as a huge surprise as the Kings had not been linked to Mitchell at all. It remains to be seen if this is a pick for the Kings or if they'll be trading the pick.
Our draft guru Bryant West wrote of Mitchell:
Davion is a dude I would bet on to make the most of his NBA career, and there's no question as to why he excites teams; he's as high-motor a defender as you could ask for, and was the soul of the Baylor Bears championship squad this year. He also took big steps forward as a shooter and playmaker this year. So why do I have him so low? At 6'2 with a 6'4 wingspan, he will certainly make an impact on defense, but I don't think he has the defensive range that many of his comps (Marcus Smart and Jrue Holiday) do. And while he nailed 44% of his threes this year, I worry that this year was a shooting mirage - he hit on just 31% of his threes in his first two seasons, and his career free throw mark is just 65%. That all said, I understand why teams want to bet on the person - he's a legitimately awesome competitor.
I'll be honest, I am baffled by this pick. Mitchell is two years older than Tyrese Haliburton. He's a year older than Marvin Bagley. He's a tenacious defender, but guard is the one position where the Kings already had depth.
Obviously, I always want success for whoever the Kings pick, but this is an absolutely confusing selection.
Let me be the first to say welcome to
hell.
*Welcome to Basketball Hell
At least Jerry Reynolds is happy.
I’m happy… suprised but happy.
Actually Jerry said he loved Mitchell but would draft Moody due to guard glut !
¦.ok.
Well, welcome Davion! Here’s hoping your champion ways didn’t stop in college¦somehow.
Happy for the kid! Welcome!
But… won’t he take the ball away from Fox’s hands?
Ah well. Let’s go Kings!
I don’t know what to say at all………..
Monte McReynolds made the pick.
Welcome to sac Davison!
Davion*
Trade Fox for Simmons now?
no
Perhaps Delon wright is coveted by some teams and Davion fills that backup pg role
Kings using a top 10 lottery pick for a backup PG? I’d call that crazy but it is the Kings
backup PG is a very important spot
How you gonna downvote that. Bobby Jackson, anyone?
unless your starting 5 is set, you don’t burn the #9 pick on a backup
if the by far bpa is a #7 in the “lineup” but better than the #3 in the starting lineup you take him.
I wouldn’t of done it but I think Monte is going with bpa and will work out the roster moves later
He’s a shooting guard.
Vivek still reeling from Bogi loss. Trying a 2nd time so he doesn’t make same mistake twice
Simmons is garbage….. contractually/contextually speaking… No offense Simmons
I would kick the tires on that but not anything close to what Morey is calling for.
We are screwed…………..
Kuminga is gone at #7, then Wagner at #8…………..
fxxk that
Hell no, nobody knows how these guys will turn out. Credit management for drafting the perceived best player. When you start worrying about position you get Justin Jackson.
I am not worrying about position…
I like Kuminga and Wagner much much more than Davion Mitchell
And you’ve been scouting these guys for awhile. Has anybody seen enough of Kuminga to really intelligently comment about him. Mitchell can play and he should it on a big stage. We need players and guys that get after it on defense.
Um, okaaaay.
We shall see!
Kudo’s to our management for going with the perceived best player available and not worrying about position.
Wtf?
Yes…WTF!!!!!!!
Meh? Been hoping it would be one of Sengun, Moody, Bouknight or Williams. But damn didn’t expect that at all!
At this point, hoping we can trade into
the first for another pick.
Can he play SF?
I’m guessing Hali will be with Fox and Davion in the back court.
Davion, I’m sorry. You could have gone to a better team (there’s 29 of them).
Shots are on me. See your nearest bartender.
O’Mally’s? 😉
I would, but am 40 minutes away from there and have already done some 12oz. curls tonight.
There was starting to be some talk in the last days of StR about an in-person thing. There’s the new mask mandate in Sac county, but it would be fun to get together (eventually).
Hopefully when more folks are vaccinated and it’s safer to do so we can do a Kings Herald one day!
I’m surprised Sacramento County did a mask mandate before out here in the Bay Area, but I feel that a mask mandate out here is a matter of when, and not if at this point.
I take it back. Draft Sengun. Why the hell can’t this team ever just take a wing? This strikes me as the guy Vivek saw in the tournament and wanted him. Unless a trade is coming (it never is) we continue to be screwed.
Just like we all thought some big trade was coming last trade deadline, right? 😉
Every freaking time this clown car pulls the rug out from under us. It’s ridiculous how often they kick us in the balls.
Kings logo jockstraps for the site store?
I love it. I would order one tomorrow.
Likewise.
The same guy Vivek is in love with that we can’t trade ð¤
Does he come with Quincy Acy?
I like his motor and D.
I worry about his size.
I fear they took an upperclassman because they are in win-now mode and wanted an immediate contributor.
Another draft, another year picking my jaw up off the floor
As kings fans at least we always have something to talk about at draft time lol
Like drafting Tyrese Haliburton
This has Vivek written all over it. He’s due for a win, so hopefully he nailed this pick.
I’m as confused as anyone, but can we stop excusing every questionable move as Vivek stepping in and making decisions on behalf of his front office? However this goes, Monte needs to get credit or blame.
The reason it seems like Vivek has fingerprints all over this franchise is because he is the owner, makes the hiring decisions, and hires people of the same mindset to execute his vision. Not because he is somehow overriding Monte’s brilliant ideas with bozo moves (unless anyone is aware of reporting to the contrary that the pick was not made by Monte?)
Stop bashing our coping mechanism!
i bet Vivek paid you with Bitcoin to write that.
Sure, I’ll bet all the Bitcoin I got from Vivek that he did not pay me in Bitcoin.
Have you worked for Vivek? History tells all and as the last 8 yrs have shown the owner or whoever the NBA dictates to be the hestad of the Kings is responsible as you know it all starts at the top. You can’t forgive the perceived owner after 8 yrs of complete studity.
Leader
If you read above, apparently I am on Vivek’s payroll!
But, I never said that Vivek bears no responsibility. I’ve been very critical of him for a long time. I am just combating the nonsense that McNair has all these brilliant moves up his sleeve, but every time we instead make a questionable one, it must be because Vivek is somehow walking around the office overriding McNair’s genius.
Sure draft an undersized point guard who will play 12 minutes a game behind the team’s best player. Smart. Very smart.
At least picking Bouknight would have been good for a little excitement.
This is just a weird pick. And with Delon Wright, I’m not even sure what the plan could be.
4 on 5?
Maybe the plan is to move a guard?
dude, we have 8 guards now…
Fox/Hali/Buddy/Delon/TD/James/Mitchell/Ramsey
Yeah, I remember we got mad at Vlade for having an unbalanced roster. Monte has work to do.
and Kyle Guy.
22 year old undersized pg definitely makes sense to start in the lottery. Monte McNair no longer has the benefit of the doubt with me: I don’t know why I expected anything different. He was a Vivek hire after all.
Same size as Damian Lillard…not so undersized.
“Undersized” generally relates to defense. Lilliard is not known for his defense and Mitchell’s shooting ability is nothing like Dames.
Mitchell had a better 3 pt pct at Baylor -44% than Lliard at Weber state 38% !
Well, I think this feels like a precursor to a deal. What the deal is I don’t know. But hopefully that’s it. Otherwise, it’s an interesting pick to justify.
I want to believe so badly that there is some deal in the works because if not… man.
Jerry wanted him, interestingly enough. There’s a good reason for it.
I know he did but unless there is some major roster reshuffling, I just don’t see where he gets minutes unless they are going to run a tiny three guard lineup all the time.
This can’t be the end of this story. There’s just too much going on.
I kind of feel like they need to move 2 guards now. Is it possible that Delon Wright could be moving out with Buddy? I get the feeling they’d like to keep Davis unless he gets a crazy offer so that leaves 5 guards who all need minutes even AFTER Buddy gets traded. I really hope Monte has a plan.
Yeah, I can see that FK&C. There’s a lot of possibilities. It just doesn’t feel like a bad pick, it just feels difficult to see the vision given the depth chart. I’m not terribly concerned, admittedly. But if I don’t like the product, I’ll quit and move onto something else. It’s up to this franchise to make me interested in them, not the other way around.
Truer words have never been spoken.
Listened to the podcast and Jerry said he loved Mitchell but due to guards he would take Moody ! Fact !
#foreverkangz
Considering Hield is on the move, Mitchell actually seems like a good combo guard. Seems like they are certain they will trade Hield
he’s 6’1″, he’s not a combo guard
I thought position was primarily based on the ability to guard players at that position. Shouldn’t Davion be able to guard most 2 guards?
no…he’s 6-1, with a 6-4 wingspan, he’s going to struggle stopping taller PGs
If only there were examples of him having success covering NBA caliber point guards with size…
He did a great job on Cade Cunningham !
You don’t think he is clamping a dude like Buddy if his defense translates?
Of course it will…2 inches isn’t crap in the big scheme if you can play
This!
didn’t he shut down Cade?
Of course you’re correct he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He’s just trying to play to an audience.
Said he was 6’2″ on ESPN
And what’s a combo guard. That’s ridiculous. When you know basketball the distinction is superfluous. Something original or with a different take would be nice.
I was thinking more of a small SG at 6’2″ with 6’4″ wingspan. His defense and his shooting is his strong point, no?
That’s the KANGZ I know.
At least they picked somebody who can definitely play basketball.
I personally am excited about the pick. I’ve been following Davion since his sophomore year of HS when he won a championship for my alma mater. Maximum effort and suffocating defense is who he is on a basketball court. He has shown the understanding of how to accept a role on a team and find a way to improve the skills needed to expand that role.
The Kings have more holes to fill but I like the backcourt of the future. Just complete a Buddy trade soon!
I like Davion’s D, but the rest of his game & his poor fit w/the Kings make this a baffling selection. Drafting Garuba or Moody would’ve been a better way to improve the D.
Because drafting for fit has so much upside?
My worries about everything but his defense are my biggest concern. The fit is also a concern. Garuba & Moody were other D 1st players who were better fits (& Garuba’s probably a better defender).
Remember when we could have drafted Luka but already had a point guard?
In retrospect, we probably should have just gone ahead and picked Luka and worried about the fit later.
Agreed, drafting for fit got us Marvin Bagley.
Wait what the hell did the Spurs just do? For real?
I guess they’re trying to make the NBA draft almost as odd as the NHL draft. Picking Primo was almost as surprising as Montreal taking Logan Mailloux.
Send their coach to Japan to lose the olympics? … Just kidding… I love you Pop.
I’m choosing to like the pick. He’s an all around good player, with defensive tenacity. At 22, he can come in and get up to speed quicker imo, and be on Fox and Haliburton’s timelines.
Excellent point.
I said that back in 2018 and the rest¦.well I rather not discuss about that¦.
Agreed and thumbed … has been a winner at all levels and Lord knows we need defense.
Did we workout or interview Mitchell?
I don’t believe so, and that is what concerns me right now.
Yeah, I remember when people were praising Monte for bringing in all these prospects and saying that at least the process is good and then I asked what if they pick someone they didn’t bring in¦