Raptors’ Davion Mitchell displays defensive prowess in loss to Kings

On Nov 7, 2024

SACRAMENTO – When Davion Mitchell stepped off the Raptors constitution flight from Denver on Tuesday afternoon, he had one mission:

Make his approach to Frank Fats’s, the legendary Chinese language restaurant in downtown Sacramento and his favorite place to eat in the three seasons he spent right here enjoying for the Kings. As quickly because the Raptors completed their exercise, he headed straight over and loaded up.

“It was like three o’clock and I didn’t eat anything for the rest of the day after that,” stated Mitchell.

Together with his starvation vanquished, Mitchell may concentrate on the following job: Getting a win with the Raptors in Sacramento over the Kings — the staff that drafted him ninth total in 2021 however traded him in the low season in half as a result of he was caught for taking part in time behind start line guard De’Aaron Fox and in half as a result of the Kings had been in search of wage cap reduction after signing DeMar DeRozan to a three-year, $74 million deal.

Effectively, Mitchell and the Raptors had to accept one in all two, because the Kings lastly asserted themselves down the stretch of the fourth quarter for the 122-107 win in what had been a tightly contested sport for many of 48 minutes, which has been the Raptors behavior of late.

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It was outdated good friend DeRozan who closed the door as he scored 11 of his game-high 27 factors in the ultimate interval because the Kings turned a five-point deficit with 11 minutes remaining right into a 15-point benefit eight minutes later when he scored his last bucket with 2:33 to play.

RJ Barrett led Toronto with 23 factors on 9-of-19 taking pictures whereas Mitchell had a season-high 20 factors on 8-of-11 taking pictures whereas including six assists in opposition to only one turnover.

The loss dropped the Raptors file to 2-7 and 0-2 with three video games remaining on their five-game street journey. The Kings improved to 5-3.

Accidents proceed to be a problem for Toronto who had rookies Ja’Kobe Walter and Jonathan Mogbo go away the sport. Walter re-aggravated the shoulder harm that noticed him miss all of coaching camp and the primary 5 video games of the common season however Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic stated that x-rays had been destructive and the rookie shall be day to day. Mogbo suffered a hip pointer and was completed after 18 minutes however contributed 5 factors, 5 rebounds, two assists, a steal and a blocked shot.

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The principle distinction statistically was on the free throw line as Sacramento made 28 of their 32 makes an attempt and the Raptors had been 11-of-17. The Raptors surrendering 16 offensive rebounds whereas grabbing solely eight themselves was one other problem.

“I think the key thing, obviously was the free throws,” stated Mitchell. We obtained to do a greater job of that … we have now to cease fouling. I imply they made 28 free throws. It’s arduous to win like that.”

The Raptors had been working to get Mitchell one other win in opposition to the Kings after they stole one on Saturday night time in Toronto, and Mitchell definitely did his half.

“It was expected, he played very well on both ends of the court,” stated Barrett of the Raptors’ start line guard of the second. “I was just happy to see him play well coming back here to face his old team.”

In the identical approach the Kings couldn’t discover room for Mitchell long-term, his final match with the Raptors is to be decided. He profiles as an efficient backup and will play minutes alongside Immanuel Quickley in some lineups as properly. Toronto had the choice of providing him a contract extension earlier than the season began however predictably selected to let the season play out first. Mitchell will nonetheless be a restricted free agent subsequent summer season and the Raptors would have the choice to match any deal the 26-year-old would possibly get supplied. In the meantime if rookie Jamal Shead — who shares plenty of Mitchell’s attributes — develops right into a viable back-up level guard Mitchell is likely to be on the transfer once more.

On the very least, Mitchell has been as marketed: A tenacious on-ball defender who can run a staff properly. His weak point has been and continues to be his taking pictures — he arrived in Sacramento connecting on simply 41.8 per cent of his area objective makes an attempt and 26.5 per cent from deep.

It hasn’t been for lack of alternative, with Quickley out with a again bruise suffered in the season opener. Wednesday was Mitchell’s eighth straight begin, his longest stretch of begins since his rookie yr with the Kings.

How lengthy he stays a starter shall be seen quickly sufficient, with Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic saying that Quickley has begun the ramp-up course of and could also be accessible when the Raptors play in Los Angeles this weekend — Saturday in opposition to the Clippers and Sunday in opposition to the Lakers.

Nevertheless it’s fairly attainable that Mitchell’s contributions shall be missed.

It’s not an ideal measure of his effectiveness however opposing level guards can’t hit a shot in opposition to the Raptors thus far this season. As a gaggle, they had been taking pictures simply 34.8 per cent from the ground in opposition to Toronto earlier than Wednesday.

In accordance to Basketball Index, Mitchell is a giant purpose why. The analytics web site has Mitchell rated as the very best one-on-one perimeter defender in the NBA thus far this season.

The Raptors and the Kings performed in Toronto on Saturday and Mitchell’s influence was vital. Fox shot simply 8-of-22 from the ground in a sport that Toronto received in extra time.

Earlier than the sport Kings head coach Mike Brown referred to Mitchell’s on-ball defence as his “superpower” and advised that with all of the ball-handlers on the Kings, he would possibly even transfer Fox off the ball at occasions so he doesn’t have to butt heads with Mitchell on each possession, a technique that performed out for lengthy stretches of the sport in the early going.

However Mitchell is simply too sensible to take an excessive amount of credit score when a man who averaged 26.6 factors a sport final season has a tricky night time.

“I mean, it’s hard,” Mitchell stated of masking his outdated teammate, mentioning that the Raptors caught the Kings on a second night time of a back-to-back in Toronto. “He has everything. You just hope he doesn’t get off to a hot start, because if he’s hitting shots kind of tough, really tough, to guard him, because you got to kind of close the gap a little bit, and everyone knows about his speed … so I mean, hopefully we can get him to a struggling start and shooting ball.”

Mitchell greater than held his personal. Coincidence or not, Fox had one other powerful night time in opposition to his outdated teammate. He completed 5-of-17 from the ground and solely scored a kind of area targets with Mitchell as the first defender. It got here on a backdoor lower in the second quarter and Mitchell was visibly pissed off by it.

“Yeah, he got me,” stated Mitchell afterwards. “I was sleeping.”

It doesn’t occur fairly often. The belief Rajakovic has in him was on show when Mitchell was subbed in for the Kings’ final possession of the second half for the aim of hounding Fox full court docket. Mission completed as Fox missed a tricky shot in the lane on the horn. Mitchell grabbed the rebound and cradled hugged the ball and roared in celebration as he walked again to the Raptors bench, accepting congratulations as he went.

“His nickname is ‘off night’ for a reason,” stated Barrett. “He’s a pest and he’s strong and he’s fast and he actually loves defence, and he really takes on that challenge every night. That’s definitely a plus to have on our side.”

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