#1 Davion Mitchell – Guard – Baylor
Many people did not know who Davion Mitchell was until he helped carry Baylor to the National Championship game and ultimately win their first ever championship. Now, he has been one of the highest risers of the draft and seems to be a lock to be a lottery pick at this point.
After starting his career at Auburn during the 2017-18 season, Mitchell transferred to Baylor and saw his game blossom. Davion Mitchell transformed himself into one of the best two-way players in the entire country and this past season, he averaged 14.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.9 steals and shot 44.7% from three-point range.
All-around, Davion Mitchell is a very solid and intriguing prospect, even though he is 22-years-old and turning 23 in September. He does not have the potential for growth like some of the other younger, high-level prospects in this draft class, but Mitchell’s game is going to translate to the NBA perfectly and could immediately make an impact for whatever team he is on.
Defensively, he may be the best prospect in this year’s draft class because of how pesky and strong he is as an on-ball defender. Impacting the game on both ends of the floor is extremely valuable at the point guard position, which is why Mitchell finds himself as the highest rated Junior in the 2021 draft class.
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If he falls to the Pelicans at 10th overall, they really need to take him not only because of the impact he brings to them on both ends of the court, but because Davion Mitchell fits in perfectly to what New Orleans is looking for in their guards.
New Orleans really needs to improve on the defensive-end of the court if they are to make the jump to the playoffs next season and no other player possesses the means to drastically improve a team defensively like Davion Mitchell does.
Mitchell ranked 36th in the country this past season in steals per game and due to his physical nature, he was able to guard many different positions. Standing about 6’2”, Davion Mitchell may be a little undersized to guard NBA wings, but his toughness and quickness will give him a chance to defend anybody at a high-level.
Being a great decision-maker with the ball, Davion Mitchell is able to make plays for himself off-the-dribble, but also find his open teammates for easy assists. Not to mention, Mitchell has turned himself into a knockdown shooter, as he shot 44.7% from three-point range at Baylor this past year.
Davion Mitchell checks off every single box the Pelicans have in terms of finding their “dream prospect” in this year’s draft and while he may not have the most potential out of the other prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft, he is one of the most complete and most NBA-ready guards available.
