The NY Knicks will be heading into the 2021 NBA Draft armed with 4 picks which include 2 in the first round. While the team is remaining focused on the current season and their push to make the playoffs, it is never too early to start talking about some of our favorite prospects.
With college basketball coming to a close, draft season is well underway. The Knicks will have a few different ways they can go in the draft. With so many picks, it would come to no one’s surprise if the team trades some of them away or packages them to trade up in the draft.
It’s silly for The Knicks to dream about any of the draft’s top-tier prospects, but there will plenty of talent with star potential in the 15-25 range, an area of the draft where they will likely have two selections. One player who they could select in that range is Baylor’s Davion Mitchell.
NBA Draft: Davion Mitchell brings championship resume to The NY Knicks
We all saw the tournament and watched as Davion Mitchell set the tone and helped lead his squad to defeat the undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs and win The National Championship. Mitchell and teammate Jared Butler dominated throughout the tournament and the whole world got to see just how exciting their potential is. I love Butler as a prospect as well.
Now, I’ll say this: I typically don’t care about the tournament too much when evaluating players’ stock. I think there may be a few exceptions over the years who have gotten small bumps from the tournament, but at this point in the year, scouts and analysts have had their favorite prospects lined up on big boards for months. Even before the tournament, Davion Mitchell was having a fantastic season. Let’s take a look at why the Georgia native could be a great fit for The NY Knicks.
NBA Draft: Davion Mitchell’s lockdown defense fits right in with The NY Knicks
What have we heard about The NY Knicks all season long? Defense. Physical defense, suffocating defense, relentless defense. Tom Thibodeau has taken an unorganized group of players and given them an identity. They play a ruthless style defense that features constant movement and pressure on the perimeter. I outlined some of the Xs and Os of Thibodeau’s overloading defense earlier this week. Man, would Davion Mitchell thrive on this team.
Mitchell has earned a reputation as one of the toughest perimeter defenders in the country. Davion Mitchell is a bit of a tweener guard, and his 6’2 height may cause some concern. I’m not sure it matters too much, because Mitchell makes up for the height with other strong physical traits.
NBA Draft: Davion Mitchell defensive profile:
- Relentless motor
- Strong, muscular frame at 205lbs
- Terrific anticipation defending P&R, quick hips
- Fast hands that will get up in the shooter’s grill on any jump shot
Davion Mitchell is physical – He embraces contact on the defensive end. Mitchell set the tone for a Baylor team that was one of the top defensive units in the country. He was the leader of the team, and he could step in right away as a lockdown defender in the NBA.
One of the most frequent draft comps for Mitchell is Marcus Smart. Mitchell is shorter and doesn’t have the longest wingspan, so it’s hard to see him being able to effectively defend bigs. However, it’s hard for me to imagine him NOT becoming an elite perimeter defender. The instincts, and most importantly, the athleticism, will translate really well at the next level. He can certainly hang with NBA guards.
Mitchell is a point guard but its’ hard to tell whether or not he would slot in as the starter right away. I think because of his age and experience, it is not too far-fetched to pencil him as a starter on day one, depending on who is on The NY Knicks’ roster of course. Even if he comes off of the bench, that would provide them with a shutdown guard in the 2nd unit, something they don’t currently have.
It’s not just an immediate impact on defense – Davion Mitchell has some serious potential as a ball-handler as well.
NY Knicks: Davion Mitchell is one of the fastest guards in the NBA Draft
The Knicks are often lacking a few different components to their offense, and speed + transition scoring is definitely one of them. The NY Knicks currently rank 3rd last in transition points per game. We know The Knicks are a slower team, but even some of the teams that rank similarly in pace to The Knicks, such as The Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat, are able to score a few more transition points per game. That’s where speedy guards and point guard play can help.
Davion Mitchell is easily one of the fastest guards in the draft. Shiftiness, straight-line speed, change of speeds – Mitchell is straight-up an NBA athlete. Even with his size, you can call him an “Above the rim” finisher. The kid has a lot of juice. It’s a level of speed that The Knicks could use more of.
Davion Mitchell’s downhill speed is a terrific asset as a playmaker. When you have burst and blow-by ability, you don’t need to be an all-world passer to create chances for teammates.
To play devil’s advocate – The Knicks’ slower offense is very heavy on isolations and simple pick & rolls, they’re 3rd in the NBA in pick & rolls per game. While Mitchell is a solid and maneuvering and scoring as the pick & roll ball-handler, for a point guard, he’s not “elite” as a playmaker in the half-court. Obviously, it’s something he can develop, but at 22 years old, how much can he improve it?
This is where I’m going to continue to emphasize the importance of that speed. There are some really successful point guards who aren’t incredible passers out of the pick & roll. De’Aaron Fox, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, Derrick Rose – They all utilize their blow-by speed to penetrate and execute the simple reads. I think Mitchell can succeed in a similar way.
I’ll touch on Mitchell’s shooting briefly because it’s been a bit of a debate.
After shooting 32.4% from 3 last season, Mitchell has that number up 44.7% on 4.7 attempts per game this season. As you can see from the above clip, he’s able to shoot off of the dribble pretty smoothly. The bizarre number that sticks out is his 65.2% free throw shooting. It’s hard to pinpoint what the reason is for the low free throw percentage, but I don’t think it should deter teams from thinking Mitchell can shoot it at the next level.
Will Mitchell shoot 44.7% from 3 in the NBA? No, but I am a believer that he can be an effective shooter, even one who can create their own shot. He’s shown the ability to hit NBA-range 3-pointers. So now the biggest question: How would Mitchell fit in with The Knicks?
NY Knicks: Davion Mitchell is one of the most well-rounded guards in the NBA Draft
Defense, speed, and playmaking – These are all reasons to believe that Davion Mitchell would be an excellent selection for The NY Knicks in the 2021 NBA Draft. Think about the roster right now.
Elfrid Payton at starting point guard has been a big debate among fans this season and I’m not sure if he will have a long-term future with the team. The consensus “Biggest need” for this team has been a playmaking point guard. Someone who can create more offense for others and space the floor.
Davion Mitchell could find himself playing point guard, shooting guard, and probably a lot of both. When I look at NBA comparisons for prospects, I try to think in different tiers – Players of different calibers to match what I think the prospect’s range of outcomes may be. It’s hard to avoid Marcus Smart as a comparison, so I’m going to say Davion Mitchell most reminds me of Smart, Jalen Brunson, and… another Mitchell – Donovan Mitchell.
It’s a big name, but I really do see the potential for Davion Mitchell to become a high-level scorer who can break down defenses with dribbling and speed at a high level while also being a nice facilitator. The 6’2 Donovan Mitchell has a much bigger wingspan than Davion, but even their shooting forms are strikingly similar.
So let’s calm down for a second and think about what Mitchell could immediately be for The NY Knicks. Obviously, most of this depends on what the Knicks roster looks like heading into the draft. I wrote about how Reggie Bullock, Alec Burks, and Derrick Rose are all impending free agents and it’s unlikely the team re-signs everyone. If the Knicks let Burks or Rose walk, I think Mitchell can step into the bench scorer + facilitator role nicely.
Davion Mitchell can bring the downhill speed and athleticism that Rose has provided The Knicks this season. In many ways, I think he could take on the role that we hoped Frank Ntilikina could grow into: A 6th-man-type role of a shutdown perimeter defender who runs the offense for the 2nd unit. A Swiss army knife.
Whatever Davion Mitchell’s ceiling may be, I think there’s an easy path for him to be an immediate impact player for NY. His defense alone will get him into the lineup, but the added playmaking and scoring will at the very least give the ability to be a lead guard off the bench for The Knicks.
If Davion Mitchell is available for The Knicks in the upcoming NBA Draft, I would love to see them pounce. Another building block for immediate success and the future.