3 Kings who aren’t living up to expectations thus far

2. Davion Mitchell

The Kings got Davion Mitchell in 2021 with a lottery pick. Not all lottery picks come to the NBA prepared for the spotlight, but by their third season, they are expected to have a certain impact. 

Mitchell, however, seems to be moving backward. Since his rookie season, his production and minutes have gone down every year, reaching an all-time low by now. I doubt anyone expected Mitchell to be a high-level scorer, but the hope was that he would grow into a solid defensive-minded backup guard.

With Coach Brown putting an emphasis on defense in training camp, the expectation was that Mitchell would be one of the leaders of that movement and have an impact. Instead, he has barely played all month, collecting DNPs and often only seeing the court in garbage time. 

Many fans were already disappointed with Mitchell’s play last season. Few probably had on their bingo card for this season that two-way player Keon Ellis would surpass Mitchell in the rotation and take his spot, though. 

Right now,  it doesn’t look like Mitchell will take that spot back, and he might end up being a salary filler if the Kings find a trade to push them to the next level.