Every summer, NBA teams make adjustments to get better as a whole in the following season.
While the Kings’ front office works behind the scenes to improve their roster, young guard Davion Mitchell revealed that he has been putting in the work to improve his individual game.
And there’s one specific area he’s focused on.
“I think every year, something that’s always being talked about is developing my jump shot,” Mitchell said on a special edition of the “#ThisLeague Uncut” podcast. “That’s kind of been the biggest piece every year, and I think it’s making progress. Even when I was in college, I kind of had the same problem my first two years, and then I kept getting better and better each year.
“The more comfortable I get, the more confidence I have, the more the shots go in, the better the percentage is, the more I play because I can be on the floor and shoot the ball and be good defensively, so that’s an aspect I’ve been working on. Even this whole summer, that’s been my main focus, working on my jump shot so they have no reason for me not to be on the floor. Defensively, you know, I’m going to do what I have to do, and I think offensively, then I can kind of be on the floor the whole time.”
The third-year guard has shone on the defensive end, “earning” the difficult task of guarding Warriors superstar Steph Curry in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs. His on-ball defense presents a major problem for opponents.
But the 24-year-old would like to be known for more than his “Off Night” defense.
As a rookie in the 2021-22 season, Mitchell averaged 11.5 points on 41.8 percent shooting from the field and 31.6 percent from 3-point range in 27.7 minutes. He played significant minutes particularly towards the end of the season in place of an injured De’Aaron Fox, averaging 18.6 points on 45.8-percent shooting in 38.1 minutes played in the last 13 games of the season.
In his sophomore season, with Fox’s return and the additions of Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk, Mitchell’s minutes decreased, but his shooting percentages jumped slightly.
Mitchell played just 18.1 minutes last season, averaging 5.6 points on 45.4-percent shooting from the field and 32.0 percent from deep.
Now, entering his third year, the young guard has his eyes set on one thing. And if he can continue to boost his shooting percentages, he can be a major asset to Sacramento’s championship aspirations.