The Raptors should give up on Davion Mitchell
The Toronto Raptors made a pair of additions this summer at point guard, adding two college stars and small point guards whose greatest strengths come at the defensive end. Davion Mitchell keyed Baylor to a championship in 2021, while Jamal Shead was an All-American at Houston.
Both will now compete for the same backup point guard role in Toronto after the Raptors traded for Mitchell and drafted Shead in the second round. Mitchell may have the inside track if the goal is winning now, but if the goal is becoming the best long-term team, the Raptors should pivot to Shead now.
Mitchell had moments playing for the Sacramento Kings, but he is already 26 and it's clear his offensive game won't be good enough to deserve minutes in the playoffs on a winning team. His on-ball defense is valuable, to be certain, but as a career 32.7 percent 3-point shooter who is not an elite playmaker his path to becoming a reliable two-way player is probably too narrow to walk.
That possibility is still open for Shead, who was an offensive star for Houston and could develop as a shooter and playmaker to be a full-time backup point guard and occasional starter. It's certainly possible the shot is never good enough and he becomes the same level of player as Mitchell, but that book isn't written yet.
It has been written for Mitchell, and the Raptors shouldn't get tricked into the allure of "unlocking" his potential.