VanWest82 wrote:Mark_83 wrote:My concern about drafting Mitchell is two-fold: 1) You're drafting him to eventually start next to Fred which means he'll be expected to guard the SG and not the PG.
The average size for a SG in the NBA is 6'5.4 with shoes with a 6'8 wingspan. Mitchell at 6'2 with shoes and a 6'5 wingspan is the size of an average PG.
http://analyticsgame.com/nba/average-nba-position-draft-measurements.htmlOpposing shooting guards are going to have a much easier time seeing and shooting over him. Klay, Jaylen Brown, Harden, Paul George, these are the guys he's going to be guarding. All these guys are bigger than him.
Davion always took the hardest perimeter assignment which was often a wing.
If he's guarding wings in the NBA it'll just be more of the same of what he did in college. His defensive fit would be the least of the issues.
The average height of a college SG is 6'3. The average height of a college SF is 6'5. That's hardly "just more of the same" in the NBA, and we're not even talking about the difference in skill level yet.
https://www.athleticscholarships.net/basketballscholarships.htmVanWest82 wrote:I disagree that we don't know much about his defensive IQ. The nice thing about Mitchell playing three years is there's lots of tape. He's way up there making reads as an off ball defender.
Norman Powell played 4 years at UCLA. He was considered one of the best peremiter defenders in the NCAA when he was drafted (was often compared to Tony Allen, one of the best defenders in the NBA).
Has good defensive awareness … Great perimeter defender … Keeps defenders contained on an island … Has lateral quickness and uses his upper body well as a wall between his man and the basket … Very physical and uses his strength to get over screens … Has quick feet and can defend both guard positions … Has quick hands and digs at the ball while defending on the perimeter or in post (averaged 1.8 steals this past season) … Active defender off the ball (positions himself well and denies passing lanes) … Uses his 6-11 wingspan in the passing lanes, to effectively contest shots and defend at the rim …
Despite this scouting report, he's been a solid but not great on ball defender, and a below average team defender. No one can argue that Norm is low-IQ, but it's about instincts not effort. You can't just assume that defense will translate from the NCAA to the next level, especially when a guy is most known for harrassing on-ball coverage. There were many college "defensive stoppers" who never lived up to their billing in the NBA.