Can Davion Mitchell keep the Sacramento Kings momentum going?

Can Davion Mitchell fill the void left by D’Aaron Fox to keep the Sacramento Kings’ momentum rolling? 

Sacramento Kings All-NBA point guard De’Aaron Fox suffered an ankle sprain about midway through the 4th quarter in their recent overtime victory against the LA Lakers. Fox is expected to miss time due to the injury. How much time remains to be seen but it’s likely that he’s going to miss a decent chunk of games over the next few weeks.

In the nine total games that Mitchell missed last season, the Kings went 4-5. It’s evident what Fox brings to the table in terms of his talent as he is the engine that makes the Kings go. However, there is one positive that could develop out of this situation. The Kings have in 6-foot guard Davion Mitchell a player who is the primary backup for Fox and often comes into the game, making an impact on the defensive end.

Whenever he enters a game, it gives the Kings a player who brings instant energy and can make opposing coaches rethink a game plan. Mitchell is a rare breed a s a small guard who plays lockdown defense, hustles, and brings that intensity the team feeds off of. With Fox out for the foreseeable future, he is the most likely to get the starts during his absence and this could very well turn out to become a great opportunity for the third-year guard.

Opportunity awaits for Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell

Mitchell has started 28 of the 158 games he played in so he does have some starting experience. With Fox out and with Mitchell running the offense, it gives him the chance to showcase that he is capable of being a starter in this league and that he is much more than just a lockdown defender.

Mitchell has the ability to score if he is ever asked to do so. He has a career high of 28 points so that proves that he can get buckets but Mitchell doesn’t shoot much. He only averages three shot attempts so far this season and 7.9 attempts for his career. Fox averages 31.3 points per game this season, and while the Kings will have to figure out how to make up for Fox’s offensive production, Mitchell could have a similar effect on the defensive end to the way Fox dominates on the offensive end.

He is solid as a rock defensively and is considered to be one of the best on-ball defenders in the NBA. His ability to be able to slide his feet, stop, and change directions on a dime proves that he is fundamentally sound, and with his bulldog mentality, he doesn’t back down from challenges. A tough defensive-minded player like Mitchell is capable of getting his team lots of wins because he can change a game with his defense while giving his teammates the confidence that he will handle the opposing team’s top threat.

Mitchell is the type of player who turns defense into offense and the way he mirrors and matches the players he guards really shows that he does his homework and the way he reacts to his opponent’s moves and gives them little space to operate is impressive. He is really quick and plays a physical style of defense that really frustrates ball handlers.

Mitchell had a bigger role during his rookie season where he actually played 27.7 minutes per game and averaged double figures scoring 11.5 points per game. After Mike Brown took over as head coach going into Mitchell’s sophomore season, he was focused on developing Mitchell into playing more of a 3-and-D role which pretty much suppressed his role within the Kings offense.

That also shows that Mitchell is willing to sacrifice personal stats for the good of the team and that winning matters to him. Mitchell can make a statement as he will most likely get the start when the Kings face off against the Golden State Warriors for the second time in a week.

If he can show that he can slow down a red-hot Steph Curry and make some plays on the offensive end, and on top of that steal a victory in the process, then the Kings may be pressed to give Mitchell more minutes and would prove to be even more valuable when Fox returns.