I think the prevailing sentiment was the pick should boil down to Markhenen, DSJ, Monk, Frank or Mitchell.
Donovan was a fast riser.... Pitino raved about him. When word surfaced he was in the mix, most of us felt trading down and targeting Mitchell was the wiser choice, than taking him at 8. Mostly, it was DSJ or possibly Monk if Marky was off the board.
Some wanted the offensive PG (DSJ), While some said go with defensive minded PG (Frank), while a few felt DM the ideal 2-way guy.
He was in the mix tho, and what a fail by our org for not doing their work. Phil said he wanted more than guys who can run and jump... not sure if DM didn?t have a great workout or if Phil slept the entire time.
Epic fail by Phil but even more so by us... we let him make the pick (then fires him afterwards). These are decisions that set teams back 5-10 years!
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The Knicks scouts loved Mitchell, but instead of plucking someone from their backyard and the son of a Mets executive, Phil Jackson went to France.
Frank Ntilikina became their pick at No. 8 ? for reasons similar to why Mitchell was intriguing. The Knicks viewed Ntilikina as a defensive stopper at 6-foot-5 with a 7-foot wingspan. Still, Mitchell wasn?t viewed as a lottery pick until June.
Nevertheless, Mitchell?s measurements are impressive, too. At 6-3, Mitchell possesses a 6-10 wingspan. Bryant calls him ?a plus-7? ? the difference between height and wingspan. Ntilikina, by that formula, is also a plus-7.
?Some of it was: Is he a point guard or shooting guard?,?? Bryant said. ?And if he?s a shooting guard, he?s on the smaller end. At the end of the day, he?s a guard and can play the 1 or 2. His size and length, it allows him to play bigger than he actually is. That allows him to be successful at this level. It?s his wingspan, work ethic and mindset. He?s been this underdog for most of his basketball career and plays with a chip on his shoulder.?
Mitchell has started most of the season while Ntilikina comes off the bench and averages 5.4 points. When Bryant spoke to Rick Pitino after the draft, the former Louisville coach raved about Mitchell?s ?competitive nature and pride to be the best player.?