Question about Tony Mitchell...

okcjim · June 7, 2013

I wanted to pick you guys brain about Tony Mitchell. I am an OKC Thunder fan and the Thunder currently don't have a guy that can come close to defending Lebron. Nobody is going to shut Lebron down but Paul George and Khawi Leonard have done a very nice job of at least making him work for his points. The Thunder have never come close to that. Thabo is too light to guard him, he gets KD in foul trouble and Ibaka isn't mobile enough. Is Tony Mitchell a guy that could potentially do what Leonard and George has done? His highlights are mostly of him dunking. Could he be a potential defensive stopper in the NBA and a stretch 4 that could hit open 3's and rebound?

A lot of people are concerned with last season and from what I've seen it mostly had to do with 2 key teammates getting injured and Mitchell getting swarmed. Is that correct? I would like to hear what you guys think about Mitchell because I'm sure you guys have watched him more than anyone. Thanks in advance!

Green P1 · June 7, 2013

You want PJ3 and TM13 on the same team?

greenminer · June 7, 2013

Tony is a super charged pogo stick under the basket, with a 7'3" wingspan. He's very disruptive in the paint, but that's only half the battle with LJ.

LJ can explode from one end to other like very few NBA talents can. Tony has shown at times that he doesn't want to run the floor after a turnover or defensive stop.

Can Tony slow him down? yes. Will he? Maybe.

Edited June 8, 2013 by greenminer

greenminer · June 7, 2013

okcjim · June 7, 2013

You want PJ3 and TM13 on the same team?

They are a little different type players from what I've seen. PJ3 has never been a physical defender. He's athletic but he averaged less than a block per game at Baylor both of his years there. He average .7 blocks per game and 7 rebounds per game at Baylor. I think Mitchell is more physical. I honestly think the Thunder could use them both. Teams have been going small on OKC with success since Miami did it in last years finals. Houston did it in the first round and OKC didn't have a good answer. I think they could split time at the 4 against teams that go small and it would be a good combo. I think Mitchell might potentially have more success against Lebron and Carmelo though because he is more physical. I just wasn't sure if he could stay in front of them.

Edited June 7, 2013 by okcjim

greenminer · June 7, 2013

What an intriguing matchup. Thanks for posting.

I don't think Tony has faced anyone even close to his own athleticism in his lifetime. It would be interesting to see him face to face with LJ.

okcjim · June 7, 2013

Tony is a super charged pogo stuck under the basket, with a 7'3" wingspan. He's very disruptive in the paint, but that's only half the battle with LJ.

LJ can explode from one end to other like very few NBA talents can. Tony has shown at times that he doesn't want to run the floor after a turnover or defensive stop.

Can Tony slow him down? yes. Will he? Maybe.

Yeah, nobody will shut Lebron down consistently, we just need a guy that can make him work like George and Leonard have been.

MeanGreenTexan · June 7, 2013

If you don't pick him up at 12, you're not getting him.

okcjim · June 7, 2013

If you don't pick him up at 12, you're not getting him.

We've got #29, #32 and a future Dallas first rounder to move up with.

Harry · June 7, 2013

I wanted to pick you guys brain about Tony Mitchell. I am an OKC Thunder fan and the Thunder currently don't have a guy that can come close to defending Lebron. Nobody is going to shut Lebron down but Paul George and Khawi Leonard have done a very nice job of at least making him work for his points. The Thunder have never come close to that. Thabo is too light to guard him, he gets KD in foul trouble and Ibaka isn't mobile enough. Is Tony Mitchell a guy that could potentially do what Leonard and George has done? His highlights are mostly of him dunking. Could he be a potential defensive stopper in the NBA and a stretch 4 that could hit open 3's and rebound?

A lot of people are concerned with last season and from what I've seen it mostly had to do with 2 key teammates getting injured and Mitchell getting swarmed. Is that correct? I would like to hear what you guys think about Mitchell because I'm sure you guys have watched him more than anyone. Thanks in advance!

We had some key injuries but the biggest thing is a). we couldn't shoot from the outside at all so yes teams would cover up Tony and . we didn't have guards that could consistently feed him the ball down low when he was open.

I think the position you are describing is exactly why Tony is moving up the charts. He's an excellent defender and you could have his focus be taking out your opponents best player. At North Texas Tony didn't have the offensive weapons that he will have on an NBA team. I think he could do a pretty good job of what you are asking right away and that would give him time in an NBA system to develop his offensive skills. He didn't shoot well this past season but his freshman season he hit the three pretty consistently.

Grant.UNT · June 7, 2013

TM is a lazy defender if you can even label him as a defender. No hustle back, and no real will to guard anyone. Just watch his NBA Draft film. He loves to block, but has zero interest in guarding.

glick1980 · June 7, 2013

Want to see a player foul out in 5 minutes? Put TM on LeBron. Want to see a player foul it in about half that time, put TM on Dirk with his vast array of ball and head fakes. He is a GREAT shot blocker and EXCELLENT finisher, but an on ball defender he is not, but he could be if he put forth the effort and learned to stay on the ground.

mgfan · June 7, 2013

Want to see a player foul out in 5 minutes? Put TM on LeBron. Want to see a player foul it in about half that time, put TM on Dirk with his vast array of ball and head fakes. He is a GREAT shot blocker and EXCELLENT finisher, but an on ball defender he is not, but he could be if he put forth the effort and learned to stay on the ground.

effort? is that in his vocab?

Green P1 · June 7, 2013

We might know a little more about his on ball defense if he'd ever been able to play anything but center here. I don't think people on here are going to recognize the player they see at the next level.

UNT90 · June 7, 2013

We might know a little more about his on ball defense if he'd ever been able to play anything but center here. I don't think people on here are going to recognize the player they see at the next level.

Bingo.

The NBA ain't the NCAA.

Tony won't be trying to block everything at the rim.

That said, he is going to have to realize that he can't block everything and spread his feet and play some face up D.

The process may take a year or so, but he will exceed the meager expectations of the UNT fan base, and eventually of his drafted position.

Edited June 7, 2013 by UNT90

UNT90 · June 7, 2013

I wanted to pick you guys brain about Tony Mitchell. I am an OKC Thunder fan and the Thunder currently don't have a guy that can come close to defending Lebron. Nobody is going to shut Lebron down but Paul George and Khawi Leonard have done a very nice job of at least making him work for his points. The Thunder have never come close to that. Thabo is too light to guard him, he gets KD in foul trouble and Ibaka isn't mobile enough. Is Tony Mitchell a guy that could potentially do what Leonard and George has done? His highlights are mostly of him dunking. Could he be a potential defensive stopper in the NBA and a stretch 4 that could hit open 3's and rebound?

A lot of people are concerned with last season and from what I've seen it mostly had to do with 2 key teammates getting injured and Mitchell getting swarmed. Is that correct? I would like to hear what you guys think about Mitchell because I'm sure you guys have watched him more than anyone. Thanks in advance!

To be very honest, what you will find here is a split camp.

We made a terrible hire at head coach, and that head coach's inability to adjust to injury, subbing players in and out every 2 minutes, pulling players from the game for every physical and mental error, and just plain bad bench coaching caused a visible lack of intensity from every player, save one. But none of the others are potential NBA draft picks, so we don't focus on that.

Physically, Mitchell is exactly what you need to guard Lebron. Problem is, you would be taking a risk because you will have to teach Mitchell how to defend at the NBA level ( UNT coaching staff failed miserably in TMs development, how much of that is TMs fault and how much is coaching is a BIG point of debate here).

But here is the deal:

TM came here as an academic risk and was an A, B honor roll student. TM has been nothing but a solid citizen at UNT and a class act with his comments at the combine.

TM is bigger and stronger than George. Very similar in build to Lebron. TMs shooting motion from outside needs to be re-worked. A good NBA shooting coach and a year or two should make him a decent outside shooter (for those of you that doubt this, go take a look at Lebrons 3 PT % his rookie year).

The skinny: TM has all the tools to be a top 5 pick, and has the physical tools to be an above average NBA player if not an elite NBA player. If you believe TM will work hard at his shot in the league, take him. If you don't, pass.

But if you pass, I promise you, you will be sorry.

But I doubt OKC needs to worry. I think TM will be long gone before your pick (unless you have someone else's #1 that I don't know about)

glick1980 · June 7, 2013

We might know a little more about his on ball defense if he'd ever been able to play anything but center here. I don't think people on here are going to recognize the player they see at the next level.

I guess but Teng Akol looked like Kareem against him the year before last.

UNT90 · June 7, 2013

I guess but Teng Akol looked like Kareem against him the year before last.

That's because he hit everything he put up, including from 15 feet and beyond.

He had a career game. Probably wouldn't happen again if those 2 teams played 20 straight games.

jdennis82 · June 8, 2013

We might know a little more about his on ball defense if he'd ever been able to play anything but center here. I don't think people on here are going to recognize the player they see at the next level.

I agree with this completely - and not as a shot toward the coaching/gameplan.

Similar to Tebow in college, TM was asked to play a certain role/style because it fit best given the players around him. The result is incomplete evaluation tape when trying to project to a position that requires a different skill set.

I think TM's slowly climbing up draft boards because coaches see his athleticism and think they can coach this skill set into him (as McDaniels saw Tebow's ability and thought he could coach better mechanics into him).

I don't mean the comparison to suggest their success tracks will be similar but simply in the inability to use his time in Denton as the sole tool for projecting.

My conclusion is that he needs a situation where he fully embraces the challenge of developing what may not come easily.

Ceiling: Rodman

Floor: Beasley