North Texas forward Tony Mitchell fell into the second round, and the 6'9 freak athlete with the 7'3 wingspan went No. 37 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft to the Detroit Pistons.
NBA Draft 2013: Detroit Pistons select Tony Mitchell at No. 37
Tony Mitchell’s body type, athleticism, and ability to make a difference for North Texas made him a potential first round pick, but Detroit was able to nab him at No. 37.
Andrew Fielding-US PRESSWIRE
Mitchell was kinda dominant at North Texas, causing many to think he could peak in the low teens or high 20’s in the draft. But teams kept passing on him, and he ended up dropping to the Pistons.
Mitchell's two seasons with the Mean Green couldn't have been more different. A head-coaching change at the school might have had something to do with a change in demeanor and a statistical dropoff for the 6'8 forward, but his status heading into the draft likely took a hit anyway. As a freshman, Mitchell was easily considered an efficient player. As a bruising combo forward, he averaged 14.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while shooting 57 percent from the floor and 44 percent from three-point range. He also averaged three blocks per game.
But as a sophomore, Mitchell hit a wall. He shot 44 percent overall and 30 percent from behind the three-point arc. The lackluster numbers were mostly due to shot selection, as his three-point attempts per game jumped from 1.8 his freshman year to 3.1 in his sophomore season. Though Mitchell’s minutes increased, he only averaged 13 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game.
The Pistons' first pick of the evening was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. They have a lot of openings on their roster next year, so Mitchell could be asked to play a big role, especially if Jason Maxiell isn't back, as they're both similarly athletic bigs.
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