Kings 100, Celtics 67: Turns out defense DOES win championships

Last night was an epic dismantling as one-sided as you are going to see and most to all credit is due to one person: Off Night Mitchell. He sets the tone and inspires confidence and bravado among the troops to play with the right balance of poise and daring.  It is rare you can dominate while going 3-12 FGs. 

How does Mitchell not play 30 MPG?  How does he not start in our potent three guard set? The only impediment is the dim-witted coach. Not only is Mitchell fantastic on-ball defender, he is a one man fast break stopper.  

The value of an indomitable point of attack defender can be seen with CP3 (NBA Finalist), the World Champs (Jrue Holiday), and former champs (Kyle Lowry).  What happened there and here is you blow up the opponents play by negating the forward momentum of the primary initiator.  

When he goes nowhere and gives up, the ball is moved to a more limited secondary or tertiary playmaker and the offense sputters to a halt, travels ensue, wild shots ensue, wild passes ensue, 25 TOs accrue. 

Imagine if every playset the ball was taken out of Fox and Ty hands and Buddy or Barnes was obligated to try to create for themselves or others?  We would score 80 PPG and shoot 35% FGs.  Pritchard had nowhere to go last night and when he did have an open look he rushed it.  

This is why you have to think long and hard if Morey comes to his senses and says “I will trade you Simmons for Buddy, Bagley AND Mitchell.”  Morey being Morey, he will probably ask for a couple of picks too, but that is what good negotiator does before finding common ground.  

Morey actually consummated the most trades of any GM during his tenure in HOU, so his wild demands became less wild over time.  If I was Morey, I would want Mitchell to replace Simmons.  Wouldn’t you? Imagine him with Maxey and Thybulle.  They would easily have best defense in the NBA or just fortify an already great defense for the rest of the decade.

Davion would be the Kyrie Stopper, their most formidable opponent. And would you not rather pair Davion with Embiid than a combo guard like McCollum (Seth Curry clone) on the wrong side of 30?  If Lillard is put on the table then perhaps that deal gets done, but if I am POR, I want Thybulle with Simmons.  Throw in a couple of picks too.  

Regardless there is a fair trade to be made from SAC and PHI perspective, but the more I think about it, the more I do NOT think we can afford to trade Mitchell for Simmons.  It is tempting and I can make arguments both ways.  The deciding factor may be intangibles related personality, leadership, and culture shiift.  Mitchell has the edge over the image conscience “too cool for school” Simmons, nothing more than a social mask for fear and insecurity, manifesting in his ATL choke job.  You cannot underestimate this importance, the variables that do not show up in the box score. 

If there is concern about potential future stardom for Davion, it is not passing, it is 3D scoring. I am not worried about his passing, not at all. I would like to see him get to the basket more and get more quality looks within the arc. His shot distribution is over-weighted to 3s.  He’s going to make that shot but I would like to see him get easier closer looks. Isaiah was a master at the runner and dealing with and disrespceting length and shot blocking prowess.  Davion is not there yet, making high degree shots look easy, but once he gets there,  there is no doubt he is a star.  

What is limiting to any player of this sort is over reliance on the three ball. We see this with Buddy and Lonzo Ball among others.  Indirectly this does effect your efficacy as a playmaker, because you become more predictable. Davion has the step back, he has the hezzy, the juke moves CP3 uses to get his shot from free throw line extended. There just needs to be a little more savvy and change of pace to fool the defenders.  I think he will get there but this is a hole in his game.  Well, not so much a hole, but a shot-making skill he did not previously need against lesser competition. 

We need waive Woodard to create a spot for Louie King. ASAP! Louie King is a baller,  I said so since his acquisition. Memo to Jerry Reynolds and others:  Louie is better than Moody, who pulled a total disappearing act in the GSW final SL game. Houdini in baggy shorts! King has legitimate SF size, unlike hunched back Moody. King makes the game look easy. Moody is useless when is not doing spot-shooting.  He stands in the corner most of the time being irrelevant.  

I am still recovering from the shock that Jerry Reynolds, normally a wealth of knowledge and insight, after advocating for Davion all of pre-draft, capitulated to convention and chose Moody over him in his hypothetical GM chair. He then reiterated this position yesterday on the Deuce and Mo Podcast. This is just doubling down on abject foolishness!  

Say it aint so. Jerry, it is not too late to plea temporary insanity, see the light, confess the error of your ways, blame it on the missus for the lack of cognitive enhancing nourishment.
Think of it this way, if you were Morey, who would pique your interest more, Moody or Mitchell in a trade package for Simmons? Off Night or Off Posture? Case closed.  

Davion has the “it” factor. He is a consummate winner. He is a born leader. Mitchell probably got up a 5AM to work on his three ball, dissastified with last night. Meanwhile Moody was deferring to Kyle Guy and got outclassed by some dude named Jessup. And despite his sorry play you know he hit the snooze button, while Off Night was up before sunrise, back on the grind, with the medal around his neck.