The NBA honored Sacramento Kings point guard Davion Mitchell and Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Cam Thomas as the new reigning 2021 Las Vegas Summer League co-MVP’s this week.
Sacramento’s Davion Mitchell and Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas have been named Co-MPVs of MGM Resorts NBA Summer League, as selected by a panel of media. pic.twitter.com/e8Y2NRPRDC
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) August 18, 2021
Davion’s path to MVP honors will not be shown in the stat sheet. While he averaged 10.8 points, 5.8 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 24.8 minutes, Mitchell’s impact influenced games by way of his defense, energy, and providing leadership on the floor.
His ability to completely take the opposing team’s best player out of the game was the tipping point. In the championship game against the Boston Celtics, his lockdown defense on Payton Pritchard played a major factor in the victory.
Davion Mitchell’s defense on Pritchard in the Championship game 🔒
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 18, 2021
Davion’s last 5 months
Naismith DPOY
NABC DPOY
NCAA Champion
9th Pick NBA Draft
Summer League Champion@SacramentoKings | @hoopculture13 pic.twitter.com/dBJ4gx7aZi
If that wasn’t enough, Mitchell had an impressive assist-to-turnover ratio of 5.8-to-1.4.
Cam Thomas won his share of the MVP by leading the Las Vegas Summer League in scoring and averaged 27 points on 42.3 percent from the field and 36 percent from beyond the arc. His ability to show up when the game was on the line was something that certainly couldn’t be ignored.
CAM THOMAS ONE-LEGGED GAME-WINNER 🤯 pic.twitter.com/W9jmuMb6TQ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 12, 2021
The Kings selected Mitchell in the lottery at ninth overall in July’s draft, while Thomas is being lauded as the steal of the draft after falling to the Nets at No. 27.
They both headline the All-Summer League first teams.