WATCH: Davion Mitchell’s Career-High 22 Point Outburst vs Golden State
Oct 26, 2021, 11:06 AM | Updated: 11:06 am
(USA Today)
(USA Today)
The Kings rookie displayed his offensive ability during Sunday night’s loss
If you thought that Davion Mitchell was a defense-only talent, you thought wrong.
After scoring five points over his first two NBA games, the Sacramento Kings rookie guard exploded for a career-high 22 points on Sunday night during a 119-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Mitchell matched two-time MVP Steph Curry’s first-half point total of 17 points and finished the night nine-of-16 from the field and three-of-eight from three-point range over 32 minutes of playing time.
Since being selected with the ninth-overall pick in June’s NBA Draft, the 23-year-old has been applauded for his defensive ability after showcasing his lock-down talents during Summer League and preseason play.
Mitchell’s offense has not been a focal point of his game since arriving in Sacramento, but the former Baylor Bear did just fine in that department last season. Over 30 games in 2020-21, the 6’2 guard averaged 14.0 points per game on 51-percent shooting from the field and 44-percent from three-point range.
All eyes were on Mitchell while defending the future Hall of Fame guard in Curry, who finished the night with 27 points, although he struggled from the field (nine-of-23 from the field and four-of-15 from the three-point line.
“All that hype about his defense, the man was an offensive assassin tonight,” Curry said of Mitchell following Sunday night’s game.
“I wasn’t sure he had that in that tank. But he has, again, a knack for on-ball presence and obviously, the way we play, you’ve got to do both, so I’m sure he felt a little bit of that. But, just the confidence of a guy coming in–it’s his third game in the league–he has a lot of room to grow, but you can tell he has all the tools in the kit to be a defensive stopper. Just a pest out there, in the best of ways.”
While the Kings do not need 20-point nights out of Mitchell on a nightly basis, it’s nice to know that the rookie can get going in a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency situation that–like on Sunday–involves De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield both having off nights (no pun intended).
