Fansided

2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 22: College basketball is over

By Chris Stone

Jan 14, 2017; Stanford, CA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) moves the ball against the Stanford Cardinal in the second half at Maples Pavilion. Stanford won 76-69. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2017; Stanford, CA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) moves the ball against the Stanford Cardinal in the second half at Maples Pavilion. Stanford won 76-69. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
16 of 30
Next
Feb 6, 2017; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots the ball as Virginia Cavaliers forward Isaiah Wilkins (21) defends in the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 6, 2017; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots the ball as Virginia Cavaliers forward Isaiah Wilkins (21) defends in the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
16

Donovan Mitchell

SG, Louisville

This is the first of three first round selections for the Portland Trail Blazers and it gives them an opportunity to pick up some quality guard depth with Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell.

The 6-foot-3 sophomore took a large leap forward in his second season, especially on the offensive end where he went from averaging 15.5 points per 40 minutes as a freshman to 19.3 in 2016-17. Most of that improvement can be traced back to the 3-point line where Mitchell shot 35.4 percent on 226 attempts this season. He nearly double his number of 3s taken per 40 minutes and improved as a foul shooter as the offseason work on his jumper seemed to reap rewards.

Mitchell did see a bit of a regression inside of the arc with his 2-point field goal percentage falling off this season. That might be traced to an increased usage and struggles finishing in the halfcourt. That said, his overall efficiency numbers are still better than his freshman season because of the improved 3-point shooting.

Mitchell was already viewed as a quality defender prior to this season because of his lengthy wingspan and athleticism. He improved, though, statistically as a sophomore, creating 2.6 steals per 40 minutes. He’ll have to make a transition to playing man-to-man full-time after spending his college career in Louisville’s matchup zone, a defense that operates as a unique hybrid of two systems.