The Toronto Raptors appear to have good point guard depth behind Immanuel Quickley in Davion Mitchell and Jamal Shead.
Ironically, both players came in a trade where the Raptors acquired Mitchell and the rights to Shead (the 45th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft) from the Sacramento Kings for Jalen McDaniels.
Mitchell is penciled in as the primary backup to Quickley. Mitchell got the start against the Washington Wizards in Montreal with Quickley out and he looked comfortable running the point. He pushed the ball, drove in the paint and facilitated well.
Mitchell finished with 4 points, 5 assists, 0 turnovers and was a plus-22 in 20 minutes.
“He did a really good job,” Rajakovic told reporters
“I thought he did a really good job in the pick-and-roll, just making some really good reads, finding the shooter, or finding the big in the pocket, and he had a good balance of attacking the rim as well. When they gave him some opportunities, he used his speed and got to the rim.”
Mitchell needs to work on his perimeter shooting to have teams respect him from three. However, at the very least, Mitchell will provide top-notch defense which is something he’s displayed since entering the league.
Mitchell’s backup, Jamal Shead, also turned a lot of heads with his play.
Shead brought a high effort level and intensity the moment he got on the floor. He made a standout play where he stole the ball and then went the length of the floor finishing in traffic.
Shead’s ability to guard at a high level is why the Raptors drafted him.
“He [Darko Rajakovic] pointed out my point of attack stuff [defense] and he was like if you end up here [Raptors] we’re going to need that out of you every night and that’s the one thing I can do. So that’s just effort…I think I can do that for him every night,” Shead told reporters in Montreal.
Shead finished with 10 points, 4 assists and 3 steals in 17 minutes.
The Raptors haven’t had quality guard depth since the Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet days.
With Mitchell and Shead seemingly making an immediate impact, it seems like Toronto has a good guard situation behind Quickley going forward.
Darko Rajakovic reveals plan for Davion Mitchell this season
The acquisition of Davion Mitchell was the Toronto Raptors’ biggest addition in the offseason.
Recently, head coach Darko Rajakovic outlined his plan for Mitchell this season.
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