The Kings have called upon Davion Mitchell and he has risen to the challenge.
Sacramento's prized rookie logged at least 40 minutes for the second-straight game in Sacramento's 123-100 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday night at FTX Arena.
Just two nights ago, Mitchell logged 45 minutes in the Kings' overtime win against the Orlando Magic.
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Against Miami, Mitchell scored 22 points with seven rebounds and nine assists in exactly 40 minutes of action.
Interim coach Alvin Gentry and Mitchell's teammates believe that he welcomes the challenge. And if it were up to Mitchell, he would play even more.
"I think it's what you expect when you see his work ethic," Gentry told reporters after the game. "He's going to make himself the best player he possibly can be in this league because he's going to put in the time and the effort to do it. It's still tough playing him 40 minutes every night and guarding the best player. But he accepts that and goes out and does the very best he can. I think you can see the improvement, the improvement in his decision-making. The effort has always been there defensively, so we just have to continue to get better."
"We need him on the floor and we have him out there as much as we possibly can. We try and use timeouts and some things to give him rest. He loves being out there, he wants to play. He played (45 minutes) and thought he should be in there a few more minutes the other night."
Not only is Mitchell playing a lot of minutes, but he's also consistently been Sacramento's leading scorer. His defensive prowess is well-documented and one of the main reasons why the Kings used the No. 9 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft on him. His scoring ability, though, has blossomed right before our eyes.
"No, I've been working with him over the summer and I've seen the way he plays," Kings center Damian Jones told reporters when asked if he is surprised at Mitchell's success on offense. "I've seen it beforehand and I know what he's capable of."
Of course, most 23-year-olds, including Mitchell, have no shortage of energy. But playing so many minutes presents even more opportunity for error, more opportunity to lose confidence. The Kings' veteran leaders have helped keep Mitchell motivated on the court.
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"Personally I just try and keep talking to him," Kings guard Donte DiVincenzo said postgame. "The more I can just talk to him and keep his confidence high and energy high ... he's fine out there, it doesn't matter how many minutes he plays, he just wants to play basketball. He may miss a few shots, he might miss a defensive assignment, it doesn't matter. The relationship that he and I have, the one we're building -- we can get on each other, I can get on him, he understands it's coming from a good place. When you do that, you know that someone has confidence in you, your energy level stays high."
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Without stars such as De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, the Kings have relied on Mitchell now more than ever.
It appears that the Kings will continue to give the rookie more leash throughout the final six games of the regular season.