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45 - Donovan Mitchell

6-2, 210 Shooting Guard
Louisville Sophomore
Birthday
09/07/96 (27.5 yrs)
Hometown
Greenwich, CT
High School
Brewster Academy
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
9
Size
6
Defense
9
Strength
7
Quickness
8
Leadership
8
Jump Shot
7
NBA Ready
8
Ball Handling
7
Potential
7
Passing
7
Intangibles
8

NBA Comparison: Norman Powell

Strengths: Mitchell is undersized for an NBA two guard at 6’2”, but has a strong, filled out frame at 211 pounds that allows him to absorb contact well … What particularly stands out about Mitchell is his incredible 6’10” wingspan for a player his height, and has a 8’4 standing reach  … He also has tremendous speed and body control in the open court with big time athleticism that allows him to play much bigger than his size … He posted a 36½” no-step vertical at the NBA Combine and is especially explosive off of two feet … Mitchell’s unique physical profile gives him outstanding potential as a versatile scorer in both the half-court and in transition … He has long strides and is shifty and does an excellent job of powerfully changing speeds on his way to the basket … Mitchell can cover a lot of ground and with his length and he finish over the top of defenders and mix in creative finishes at the basket … Mitchell has become a much better perimeter shooter since his freshman year, increasing his percentage from 25% to 35% … His mechanics are smooth, with great balance, footwork and elevation on both his pull-up and spot-up jumper … He also has the potential to continue to improve in this area, especially when asked to play a simpler offensive role, with better shooters and spacing around him in the NBA. Mitchell demonstrates tough shot-making ability, and he impresses you with his ability create space off of crossovers, step-backs, hang-dribbles, etc … He also hit a strong 81% of his free throws this past season … Probably the most appealing part of Mitchell’s game lies on the defensive end … By the end of his second year at Louisville, he established himself as a multi-positional stopper who a coach can put on point guards, shooting guards and even some small forwards … Mitchell has outstanding physical tools to be a lockdown defender, with his elite length, strong frame and quick feet … Mitchell is also a highly competitive guy who is willing to pressure full court, dive to the floor for loose balls, and consistently make things difficult for opposing players … Mitchell has terrific instincts off the ball, as shown by his 2.6 steals per-40) … Despite being short for the average two-guard, his 6’10” wingspan is difficult for opposing guards to shoot over, and he does an exemplary job of using his quickness and strength to stay in front of his man … Mitchell’s intangibles are promising as well, and he will likely give NBA teams confidence in his ability to continue improving and reach his full potential … The strides he’s made with his shooting over the past few seasons speaks volumes about his work ethic … Mitchell also is a high character kid and a well-spoken individual … He has also reportedly shined in private interviews he’s conducted in the recent past …

Weaknesses: Mitchell is a much better leaper off of two feet than one foot, and his explosiveness on his drives diminishes when he has to elevate off of one foot, especially when forced to his weaker left hand … He also doesn’t get all the way to the rim as one might expect, as shown by his low two-point field goal percentage (46%) and below average free throw rate (4 attempts per-40), especially when operating against strong defenses … Despite a big 6’10 wingspan, his 8’1 standing reach is very small for an NBA 2-guard … Mitchell is still working on transitioning from the wing to the combo guard spot … He made strides as a playmaker in his sophomore season and operating out of the pick and roll … However, he still plays too fast at times, not always reading the defense and making the simple play … He also lacks the ideal height and court vision to see over the top of the defense, especially with bigger opponents guarding him … Even though he has improved as a shooter, Mitchell is still a streaky shooter, mostly due to his subpar shot-selection … He has a tendency to settle for tough, contested two-point jumpers, partially due to his inability to consistently get all the way to the rim, and also because of his average decision making skills … While he can make some of these attempts, it will not be a reliable way to score at the next level, and it will decrease his overall offensive efficiency, as it has in college …

Notes: Born Sept. 7, 1996 … Parents are Nicole and Donovan Mitchell Sr. … Has one younger brother (Jordan) … Major is communication … Nickname is Spider … Led Brewster Academy to a 34-1 record and its second straight National Prep Championship in 2015 … First Team All-ACC and All-Defensive Team member in 2016-17 …

William P. Desautelle III 6/6/17
 

December 9, 2013 

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