2021 NBA Draft Scouting Report: SG Davion Mitchell

PSO’s original Scouting Reports strive to be uniquely valuable in evaluating a player’s future outlook by focusing on the four main subjects that summarize a player’s likelihood of succeeding at the next level including: Natural Athleticism, developed NBA-Caliber Skills, proven Production, and overall Risk that each individual player presents to a team drafting him. For a full breakdown of PSO’s Scouting Reports, click here.

BIO

Pos: SG

Hometown: Hinesville, GA

School: Baylor

Class: Junior (Redshirt)

DOB (Age): 9/5/98 (Age 22)

Height: 6’1″ | Weight: 202 lbs.

Wingspan: 6’4.25” | Vertical: N/A

INTERESTING FACTS

After winning the National Championship, Mitchell was awarded the Key to the City in his hometown of Hinesville, GA
Played his freshman season at Auburn before transferring to Baylor and sitting out a year as a redshirt
Voted 3rd team All-American & won the Defensive Player of the Year; nicknamed “off night” for his lockdown abilities

ATHLETICISM

Pros

Very quick with his hands, leads to a lot of deflections and steals on the defensive side of the ball
Not the ideal height for a 2 guard in today’s NBA, but makes up for it with a physical defensive presence
Lateral quickness is a strength; navigates well around screens and consistently beat his man to the spot
Versatile on defense; can guards players taller than him due to strength and positioning
Good first step, creates space well and very quickly; changes directions incredibly fast

Cons

Wingspan is smaller than most elite defenders which limits who he has the capability to guard
Not a threat vertically; most of his finishes are from below the rim increasing the potential for a block
Will be one of the shorter players in the league, as the average is consistently going up

Grade: B+

NBA SKILLS

Pros

Incredible defensive ability, very disruptive and active making him a problem for anyone he is guarding
Good outside shooter; improved immensely during his final season
High-IQ player; knows where to be at all times and shows great anticipation
Has a good handle and can change directions very well with the ball in his hand
Solid playmaker; makes good reads and passes and and decisions, does not take inefficient shots

Cons

Free throw shooting is a weakness; will need to raise this at the next level
Only 1 season of high quality shooting; some concerns about this being an outlier season
Pick-and-roll game will need to improve; at his size he will need to make a wide variety of passes
Not super switchable onto true Bigs; could be a problem for some pick-and-roll situations

Grade: B+

PRODUCTION

Pros

Naismith Defensive Player of the Year anchoring a National Championship defense
44.7 3P%; great number and a drastic improvement from the year before while increasing attempts
1.9 SPG; very active on the defensive side of the ball
96.0 D-Rating; much better when the quality of his BIG 12 matchups are broken down
5.5 APG; not the starting PG on his team and still able to create opportunities for his teammates
2.6 FPG; great to see this for a defensive first player, will not have trouble staying on the court

Cons

65.2 FT%; horrendous number for a guard and concerning that it decreased over the years
35.2 projected NBA 3P%; not bad, but shows that most of his 3PM were not from NBA range
20.3 USG rate; not super involved on the offensive side of the ball
2.7 RPG; can he be a threat on the glass while locking down players who are larger than him
Did not score more than 16 points in any March Madness game

Grade: B

RISK

Pros

Knows his role; was a key member of a championship team but always played team-first basketball
Hard worker; did not start his college career off well, but was able to overcome adversity to get to this point
Elite defensive skills, could be a guard stopper in a league dominated by quality point guards
Ready for the pace of the league; plays his best when the game is fast and physical
Knows what it takes to win a championship on the biggest stage

Cons

Shooting is an enigma, had a great year behind the arc, but consistently struggles from the line
Due to his height, guards will be able to see the floor over him and bigs will target him in pick-and-roll
Already 22 years old; less time to continue development than his peers
Will need the right defensive system for his style; Baylor was overly aggressive team and perfect for Mitchell

Grade: B+

OVERALL

Up until this season, Davion Mitchell’s draft stock was very up in the air. However, this year’s performance for the National Champion Baylor Bears has skyrocketed his name towards the top of draft boards. He made great strides offensively and won the National Defensive Player of the year award. Nicknamed “Off-Night” for his tendency to lock the opposing star down, Mitchell put on a defensive clinic on one of the best defensive teams in recent college history.

What was even more impressive was that he was doing it against fellow top prospects in the BIG 12. Mitchell leaves Baylor with their first national championship with plenty of potential to succeed at the next level. The questions about Mitchell last season mainly revolved around raising his offensive game and succeeding on that end as one of the shortest players on the court. However, his offense is vastly improved, and his defensive skill set is impossible to ignore.

Having a defender able to lock down the opposing point guard is a significant need for every team during this time of high-quality guard play. Mitchell is already 22, and there are limitations that his size will cause which are out of his control. Despite these potential issues, whatever team drafts Mitchell is going to have an incredibly hard-working player willing and able to take on the most challenging defensive assignments

Pro Comp: Jrue Holiday (NOP)

Projected Rd/Pick: Mid-Late Lottery

Prime Destinations: IND, SAS, CHA

OVERALL Grade: B+