The Golden State Warriors have multiple team needs as they gear up for a highly-anticipated regular season in 2021-22. But one skill, defense, never goes out of style, especially when it comes to championship basketball.
Among NBA Draft prospects, one of the best defenders available is former Baylor guard Davion Mitchell. As further evidence of that fact, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater compiled a video of Mitchell inducing a bevy of offensive fouls while guarding on-the-ball in college.
It’s quite a sight, and the video isn’t short, running more than one-and-a-half minutes despite being cut up into a highlight reel.
That’s impressive stuff. But it’s no wonder Mitchell has to play this way, since he’s just 6-foot-2. That’s my main concern about his potential in a Warriors uniform (especially if acquired with the No. 7 pick owned by Golden State), as I wrote in an earlier post on the BASH about Mitchell.
But my question revolves around Mitchell’s size. At 6-foot-2, will his defense in college translate to the NBA? He does have a powerful frame, however, weighing in at 205 pounds. Curry is roughly Mitchell’s height and weighs 190 pounds, for example.
Mitchell looked dynamite at Baylor though. He was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 12 last season, and even shot 44.7 percent from the 3-point line in his final campaign at Baylor, attempting 4.7 shots from distance per game. Overall, Mitchell shot 51 percent from the field in 2020-21.
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Since my initial article on Mitchell, however, his height has been reported to be as low as 6-feet even, or more commonly, 6-foot-1. Curry, meanwhile, is 6-foot-3.
But hey, if Mitchell can keep opponents from entering the paint, that’s an asset. Time will tell if Warriors general manager Bob Myers will select this experienced, defensive player that could very well help during a vital season on the horizon in Golden State.
(Photo courtesy LockedIN Magazine)
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