Kings rookie Davion Mitchell impressed in his Summer League start vs. the Hornets. Mitchell had zero turnovers in addition to lights-out defense. He finished with 10 points and nine assists on the night.
To the victor goes the spoils.
After hoisting the Las Vegas Summer League Championship trophy on Tuesday night, Kings rookie Davion Mitchell was named co-MVP of the tournament, along with Brooklyn Nets rookie Cam Thomas.
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For Mitchell, the MVP wasn’t earned the conventional way. He posted just 10.8 points, 5.8 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game, which is solid, but doesn’t jump off the page.
Normally, these awards go to scorers, which is why Thomas, who led summer league at 27 points per game, is sharing the award.
Mitchell’s impact on a game goes far beyond the standard statistics. His defensive energy was contagious. He showed leadership and an ability to completely take the opposing team’s best player out of the game.
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NBA
These are the traits that the Kings were looking for when they made him the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
The 22-year-old point guard posted a stellar 5.8-to-1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio. He also knocked down 47.1 percent from behind the 3-point line.
Of all the numbers that stand out, the Kings’ 5-0 record and dominating performance in the Finals against the Boston Celtics' Payton Pritchard sealed the deal.
In addition to winning the co-MVP, Mitchell was named to the All-Summer League first team. He was the only Kings player to make either the first or second team.
Mitchell is a winner. He’s shown it at every level he’s played at so far. If he can translate this to the NBA level, the Kings have found a keeper.
