Davion Mitchell shows ‘elite’ defense in Kings’ preseason win over Suns; credits teammates
The Kings hoped they were getting a game-changing defensive stopper when they selected Davion Mitchell with the No. 9 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. That’s exactly what they’ve gotten so far.
From the moment he stepped on the floor, Mitchell changed the tempo, tone and tenor of Monday’s preseason opener against the Phoenix Suns. He provided toughness, tenacity and a defensive intensity the Kings have lacked. The rookie guard came off the bench to log 24 minutes, finishing with a team-best plus-20 net rating in a 117-106 victory over the Suns at Golden 1 Center.
After leading Sacramento to the Las Vegas Summer League championship, Mitchell posted seven points on 3-of-8 shooting with three assists, two steals and one blocked shot in his first preseason game against real NBA competition. The numbers might look modest, but the impact was clear.
“I thought he played a very good game,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “He definitely did again tonight what he’s done ever since we’ve had him, and that’s just play a solid, winning brand of basketball.”
Mitchell admitted to some nervousness in his preseason debut, but he overcame two early turnovers to produce an impressive performance. Mitchell, who came out of Baylor as the No. 9 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, stepped up to stop the ball on numerous possessions, disrupting Phoenix’s rhythm following an early array of layups and open 3-pointers.
“Credit to my teammates, man. They did a really good job of having my back out there, talking to me, being there when I messed up and covering for me,” Mitchell said. “We were all kind of connected out there and I think that’s why, defensively, we were really good. We stayed connected. We were talking, but we’ve still got to do a better job of cleaning stuff up.”
The Kings will visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday and the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday before concluding their preseason schedule at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 14.
Walton elected to start De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton in the backcourt, with Harrison Barnes at small forward, Marvin Bagley III at power forward and Richaun Holmes at center. Barnes led all scorers with 18 points. Bagley finished with 15 points and five rebounds. Buddy Hield came off the bench to post 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. Haliburton had 11 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Walton made it clear he will continue to experiment with his rotation, saying the starting lineup could change before the Kings go back to Portland for the season opener Oct. 20.
“We’re going to continue to evaluate and change and go forward and see what’s best for us at the start of the season,” Walton said.
Mitchell received a rousing ovation when he checked in for the first time with 6:59 to play in the first quarter. The Kings led by three when he came into the game, but they quickly staged an 8-0 run to go up by nine. Sacramento led 61-47 at halftime and went up by as many as 22 in the second half.
Mitchell spearheaded the effort on defense, but Walton praised a number of players, specifically mentioning Fox, Haliburton, Hield and Tristan Thompson.
“I think Tristan did a really nice job tonight, too,” Walton said “(Mitchell), Tristan and Buddy were that first wave (of substitutions) that came in. A lot of times you notice it with Davion because he’s into the ball, and that’s what everyone is looking at. He has an elite skillset with an elite desire to want to get into the ball, and that’s what we need. We talk about our defense and who we are and how we want to play, and then you have to go out and put those words into action.”
Mitchell did that against a Suns team that was missing Chris Paul and Devin Booker, causing all kinds of problems for Cameron Payne, who was held to nine points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field and 1-of-8 shooting from 3-point range. Time will tell if Mitchell can continue to bring that level of focus and intensity to Sacramento’s defense, but Mitchell said his teammates are helping him make the adjustment from college to the NBA.
Mitchell spent much of the summer working with Haliburton, who is entering his second year after finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting last season. Mitchell pushed the ball up the floor to Haliburton for a 3-pointer at the buzzer at the end of the first quarter. Haliburton put an arm around the rookie’s shoulder, explaining something to him as they walked off the floor. Mitchell said Fox and other veterans have mentored him as well.
“Throughout the whole summer, they kind of took me under their wing, helped me out with the little things they see,” Mitchell said. “They keep encouraging me and it’s helping me out. Especially Tyrese. I’ve kind of been around him most of the summer, so just to be around him, his energy has helped me, too.”
This story was originally published October 5, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
