The Golden State Warriors should pass on Davion Mitchell at No. 7

While Davion Mitchell may provide win-now defending and aggression, the other prospects the Golden State Warriors could get with a top-ten pick would have a drastically higher upside in terms of their scoring potential.

At No. 7, players like Moses Moody and Keon Johnson are projected to be available, as is Mitchell. Both shooting guards, the Warriors would be lucky to snag either, but the consensus is that both will still be on the board.

The Golden State Warriors have the No. 14 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and that’s where they should take Baylor guard Davion Mitchell, not at 7.

Mitchell has been a favorite for the Warriors, and after his incredible defense helped lead Baylor to a National Championship, he’s been on the radar of scouts. Despite being loved by the organization, not everyone is on the same page regarding him as a top-ten pick.

"“I know that there are reports that the Warriors like Davion. But from people I know — not everybody likes him there. Not everybody thinks of him as a top-10 pick,” Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman recently said on the Light Years podcast."

Mitchell is a bit older than most consensus top-ten picks, putting him at a slight disadvantage. He’s 22, so a few years older than many of the 19-year-olds entering the drafts.

He’s also shorter than most guards, standing just 6-foot-2. Mitchell’s floor is a Patrick Beverley-like player. That said, this past season, his last at Baylor, he averaged 14 points per game. He also dished out 5.5 assists per game.

The best part of Mitchell’s game in his final season was his ability to do everything in control and at his own pace.

He shot 51 percent from the field, which, for a guard, is tremendous. On top of that, something that should intrigue scouts is that he shot 44.7 percent from deep. That type of three-point shooting is uncommon. He’s a lottery pick: there’s no denying that.

But, at the end of the day, his ceiling is capped, and that’s likely the point those that don’t favor the Warriors taking him at No. 7 are saying.

With prospects like Moody and the high-flying Keon Johnson potentially available, taking a player that could still be an option at No. 14, especially with most lottery teams on a quest for a high-ceiling talent, seems like something the Warriors should want to avoid.