Last night was filled with excitement, joy, and hope for a new generation in the NBA as one of the deepest draft classes in recent history set the stage. The Kings came away with two selections in Davion Mitchell and Neemias Queta.
Immediately following the selections, experts graded Sacramento’s picks with high marks.
CBS Sports | Gary Parrish & Kyle Boone: A+
On Davion Mitchell:
“I thought Mitchell was a top seven prospect in this draft, and there's great value here at No. 9. Tenacity and skill combine to make him an outstanding prospect. His defensive intensity is unique and should translate quickly to the pros.”
On Neemias Queta:
“Sacramento gets a 7-footer in Queta who was dominant at the college level as an interior player. He's an efficient scorer around the rim and effectively uses his massive wingspan to swat shots at an elite rate.”
The Ringer | Kevin O’Connor: B
“Mitchell will provide an immediate defensive presence in the backcourt (more on that in a second). It could be argued that he will be one of the NBA’s best on-ball defenders, even as a rookie. At 6 feet and 22 years old, he’s undersized and on the older side for a lottery pick, but late bloomers do happen. Mitchell popped as a redshirt junior as a perimeter shot creator, and 22 is still young by NBA standards.”
Sports Illustrated | Jeremy Woo: B-
“Sacramento has designs on competing for the playoffs, and taking an NBA-ready guy like Mitchell here does help to that end … Mitchell will surely enhance what was one of the worst defenses in the league last season, and his speed, toughness, and scoring ability is a fit with their personnel.”
NBC Sports | James Ham: C+/B-
On Davion Mitchell:
“The key to Mitchell, outside of his defense, is the intangibles. This is the type of aggressive, forceful, no-nonsense player the Kings need. He’s a tough guy that will make an impact on his teammates and is a natural leader. Basically, you drafted a personality that can help change the culture of your franchise.”
On Neemias Queta:
“A true rim protector, both on the ball and on the weak side, Queta has potential to become a defensive stopper. He’ll struggle to defend the perimeter and teams will take advantage of that issue, but he’s a player that will not only block shots, but deter a few more.”
DraftKings Nation | Chinmay Vaidya: A-
“Mitchell is a player who can make an immediate impact and fits well in Sacramento’s rotation. His versatility defensively makes him a great asset for the Kings, who will look to break a long streak of playoff futility next season. If Mitchell’s shooting is for real, he’ll be an All-Star eventually.”
NBADraft.Net | Nick Pravenas: B
On Davion Mitchell:
“Mitchell is a ferocious coach-on-the-floor type of guard who will bring a level of physical and emotional maturity rarely seen in a rookie. He often resembled a prime (less thick) Kyle Lowry in the way he was able to lead his Baylor squad to a national title. He scored with ruthless efficiency at all three levels, improving to nearly 45% from 3 as a junior. His counting stats saw significant improvements in all categories during his three-year college career and enters the draft as one of the most ready-to-go prospects available. His upside is limited, however, as he will turn 23 on Sept. 5 and he measured just over 6-1 in shoes. How will he fit in the same backcourt with De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton? Is there a trade coming? Stay tuned.”
On Neemias Queta:
“Queta is an old-school center with incredible physical strength and athleticism for his size. Nobody has Queta's combination of measurables – maybe ever. He tops out every category – height, length, vertical leap, lane agility – you name it, and Queta crushes it. He isn't just a workout warrior, either. Queta posted strong counting stats across the board with Utah State. He's a strong interior scorer and rim protector. However, the modern game has simply shifted away from everything Queta does well. He will have a hard time trying to corral the high pick-and-roll, and he offers no perimeter shooting whatsoever. He still represents tremendous value at this point in the draft and will be a matchup nightmare on second units.”
Yahoo Sports | Ben Rohrbach: B-
"Mitchell is an incredible defender and skilled playmaker who rose to the occasion in the NCAA tournament. He is a commanding presence on and off the floor, even at 6-foot-2. At 22 years old, he will help right away, but how he fits into a backcourt featuring De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton remains a question."
SB Nation | Ricky O'Donnell: C
"Mitchell skyrocketed up draft board after March Madness by helping Baylor win a national championship. He’s a strong and super quick 6’1 guard who has a killer first step on offense while also being one of the draft’s best on-ball defenders. Mitchell enjoyed a huge leap as a shooter this past season, going from a 32.4 percent three-point shooter in 2020 (on 105 attempts) to a 44.7 percent shooter in 2021 (on 141 attempts)."
The Athletic | Sam Vecenie & John Hollinger
On Davion Mitchell:
“Mitchell emerged as a lottery pick after helping lead Baylor to a national title. His defensive ability at the point of attack is elite, and he has real offensive upside as a passer if he can just slow down. To me, he’s going to be best next to a primary scoring option at the two or three who can run the offense a bit and get clean looks late in the shot clock. Ultimately, his career will be determined by how much his jump shot improvement this year was real.”
On Neemias Queta:
“Hooray Kings! I have been driving the Queta bandwagon all year and had him rated 21st on my board, but most NBA teams seemed less excited about him. He has developmental upside but also has enough skill as a passer and rim protector to play minutes immediately and not kill them, plus the Kings obviously have a need for a big 5 right now. I think Sacramento got really good value here.”