Dillon Mitchell does a lot of the dirty work.
He defends like hell, he rebounds, he cuts into space and keeps the ball movement flowing. He’s a true glue guy.
He’s also a very rough outside shooter.
After stops at Texas, Cincinnati, and most recently St. John’s, Mitchell took just 57 shots from beyond the arc, connecting on 11 of them. It’s just not part of his game, but even without that element, he finds ways to leave an impact.
Mitchell’s ability to connect on offense stems from constant screens,
quick decision-making and dribble penetration that opens up space for others.
Mitchell closed out his college career with a strong season under Rick Pitino, earning All-Big East honors and a spot on the conference’s All-Defensive Team.
Dillon Mitchell, St. John’s, 22 years old – Wing
6’7”, 193 lbs. (6’10” wingspan)
Season Stats: 37 games, 8 PPG, 7 RPG, 3 APG, 1 SPG, 1 BPG, 1 TOV, 2 Fouls, 56% FG, 7% 3P (15 attempts), 49% FT
Games Watched: Creighton, Marquette, UConn, Iowa State
+Runs with great pace and long strides in the open floor. Talented transition player
+Good connector that constantly cuts into space (1.19 PPP on backdoor cuts). Touches the paint and forces rotations with his kickout passing. Screens for teammates constantly. Opens up a lot of space for others even as a non-shooter.
+Good rebounding presence from the wings
+Aggressive perimeter defender with a lot of energy. Has high pickup points, quick hands and the length to disrupt shots on closeouts
+Good playmaking eye
+/- Rim efficiency took a dip in final college season, but is an overall decent finisher at the basket (64% this year).
-Total non-shooter from three
-Horrible FT shooter (career 49% from the line)
-Needs to balance his aggression with more defensive discipline. Picks up a lot of touch fouls.
Shades of: Ryan Dunn, Jordan Walsh
Mitchell plays defense at an NBA level, and with good size and athletic upside — it’s going to be the reason he gets a chance in the league, but his lack of shooting is a major concern.
He does a lot of good work outside of that. He’s an excellent backdoor cutter, he always screen for teammates, and flashes decent passing upside, but without any kind of shot outside the restricted area, it’s going to be hard for him to earn an opportunity for real minutes.
I viewed Mitchell as a priority free agent entering Day 2, and a possible two-way signee. For the Celtics, he presents a profile similar to that of Jordan Walsh, who has developed his outside game and on-ball confidence since being drafted in 2023.
