Player Profile:
“Mitchell is a shot-maker. It’s that simple. He’s an extremely confident on that side of the basketball and wields the athletic promise needed to look past some of his inefficiencies at this stage in his career.
Where Mitchell yields some potentially high returns is on the defensive end. He lacks the size to match up well with shooting guards of the larger variety, but makes up for that with tremendous energy in virtually every facet. He has quick hands on the perimeter and the instinctual wherewithal needed to get into the passing lanes and force turnovers.
A strong shooter, energetic defender, and high-octane spark plug off the bench is something a number of late first-round teams could be interested in.” — 2017 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0.
Outside Opinion:
“Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell is in the midst of a sophomore breakout. After playing in just 19.1 minutes per game as a freshman, he’s now averaging 30.7 in his second season. Most notably, Mitchell has taken on a much larger offensive role for the Cardinals as he’s used 25.0 percent of the team’s possessions when he’s been on the court. The 20-year old is averaging 15.0 points per game (19.6 per 40 minutes) on a pretty average 53.7 true shooting percentage. Mitchell has seemingly improved his outside shot and is hitting 2.9 3s per 40 minutes as a sophomore while shooting 36.1 percent from behind the arc. The jumper helps open up the offensive game for Mitchell who is already a good slasher with elite athleticism.” — Chris Stone in FanSided’s NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 14.
Team Fit:
The Thunder are set in the frontcourt, which frees them up to chase some additional backcourt depth with this pick. Mitchell, the ultra-explosive comboguard, seems like a nice piece to begin prepping behind Russell Westbrook and Victor Oladipo.
Mitchell’s shooting has been streaky this season, but he’s heating up considerably as of late. He’s scoring at all levels, while boasting improved playmaking that could foreshadow an inevitable switch to point guard — which could help his stock down the road.
He’s an energetic defender and excellent scoring spark off the bench for a team that’s running a bit thin behind their core pieces.