Davion Mitchell knows that in order to be the best, he's got to beat the best.
Speaking with Chris Haynes and Marc Stein on a recent live episode of the "#ThisLeague" podcast, Mitchell shared his affinity for defense and who he likes to watch on that end of the floor.
"I'm a competitive guy so I don't want no one to score on me," Mitchell told Haynes and Stein. "I don't want it to be easy. I always wanted to make it hard for the best players, no matter who's dribbling the ball, no matter who has the ball in their hands.
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Mitchell added that learning how to play defense in the NBA wasn't easy, especially considering he is guarding the best players in the world night in and night out.
Still, Mitchell takes pride in playing defense because he knows that what separates him from other players is that he thoroughly relishes defending the best players while others are just doing it because they have to.
"But I enjoy that end of the floor," Mitchell continued. "So I take pride in it and I study the defensive things from greats like Marcus Smart and Jrue Holiday so I'm kind of looking at the people that made a name for themselves defensively in the league and I can take it from them and just help my game out."
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While the 24-year-old is known for his defense, he knows there will be times when he's asked to run the offense when star guard De'Aaron Fox takes a breather.
That's why he watched the New York Knicks' playoff run to see another guard orchestrate the offense.
"I think when I went to the Knicks' game, I kind of was just paying attention to Jalen Brunson a lot because ... he kind of upped his game after he left Dallas -- he went to another level," Mitchell said.
The Kings' defensive ace added that Brunson is a "really good," friend of his and the two often talk whenever they face each other in the regular season.
"So he's just a guy that I look at as far as like the pace of the offense he's running the team, that type of stuff," Mitchell continued to Haynes and Stein. "Just learning those things ... also as a basketball player, I'm just looking at the different things a point guard can do to run a team or to be successful to win a game."
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As the Kings look to take the next step in year two under coach Mike Brown, Mitchell knows that Sacramento's young stars will have to perform even better in the playoffs if the team wants to get to where it wants to be.
And with Mitchell learning from other star guards, the Kings will have a more-than-capable floor general on both ends whenever Fox needs a break.