Getty Sacramento Kings rookie Davion Mitchell hates how good Miami Heat's Marcus Garrett plays on defense.
Sacramento Kings rookie star Davion Mitchell, who was the ninth overall draft pick in the 2021 NBA draft was asked during an interview on JJ Redick’s The Old Man and the Three podcast who the most annoying defender he ever played against and the Baylor alum answered without hesitation.
“For me, Marcus Garrett,” Mitchell said, picking a player from his college career since he’s only played in three NBA games thus far.
Garrett, who went undrafted out of Kansas, signed a two-way contract with Miami Heat in September after a strong performance during summer league play.
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Mitchell went to say that he’s not the only person who thinks it’s a pain to face Garrett on the court, which in basketball, is a huge compliment:
“He’s the most annoying defender I ever went against and a lot of my teammates would say that too. He got his hand on every like… every time he would dribble his hand just touches the ball. I never understood that. He would do that to so many of the guards on the team, get deflections, ugh. He was definitely the most annoying defender.”
In the 22-year-old’s first four games playing with the Heat’s summer league in Las Vegas and Sacramento, the three-time Big 12 All-Defensive selection averaged 11 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks while shooting 65.4% from the floor and 42.9% on threes.
Under a two-way contract agreement, Garrett will be on the Heat’s active roster for 50 of the season’s 82 games, while also developing with the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce. Thus far this season, he got a chance to play during the Heat’s season opener blowout win against the Milwaukee Bucks and was used as a reserve player in Miami’s following tilt against the Indiana Pacers.
Miami Initially Delayed Signing Garrett While He Switched Agents
GettyMarcus Garrett #0 of the Kansas Jayhawks passes the ball in the first half of play at Hilton Coliseum on February 13, 2021 in Ames, Iowa.
While an illness kept Garrett out of the last two summer league games, the 6-foot-5, 205-pound combo guard did enough to prove he’s worthy of earning a two-way spot. The reason it took so long for the Heat to ink him to a deal was explained by Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson on August 19.
“Incidentally, Heat remains interested in Marcus Garrett — a 2-way has been discussed – but he’s in middle of changing representation and thus cannot do anything with any team for at least a week (unless Garrett does the contract himself, which would be odd for a rookie),” Jackson tweeted.
Before signing with Mark George of One Legacy Sports, Garret was represented by Lil Wayne’s Young Money APAA Sports.
Garrett Impressed Fellow Heat Players & Staff During Summer League
This is what @ImMarcusGarrett does 😤
Heat’s regular-season assistant coach Malik Allen, who guided the Heat’s summer league team, said Garrett is primed to play on an NBA level.
“He’s a really unique on-ball defender,” Allen said, per Sun Sentinel‘s Ira Winderman. “He has a great nose for the ball. And he has great anticipation. I guess that’s what separates him. He’s just got great anticipation. He’s a presence.”
And the Heat officially lock up Marcus Garrett on a 2-way deal
Haven’t seen an undrafted player this solid on defense in a while
Quick feet, active hands, on-ball mechanics, off-ball anticipation
And if a spot-up jumper is developed to become a 3 & D guy, they got something
Garrett also received a big vote of confidence from Heat guard Max Strus, who was signed to a standard contract this summer after spending last season as one of Miami’s two-way players. He believes Garrett could be a great defensive weapon.
Things might not happen as quickly in Summer League but watch Marcus Garrett pinch in on the drive and still recover for the block in the corner. That’s impressive in any league.
“He guarded me in practice the first day and he was everywhere,” Strus said:
I couldn’t even get open. So he’s definitely got that about him. He gets through screens so easily and he’s strong. You think he looks really skinny and frail, but he’s strong and he gets through screens easily. He doesn’t really ever get hit. And he’s got super-long arms that help him. He’s definitely got that. He wants to be a great defender, so that’s the biggest part of it.
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Kings Rookie Star Calls Heat 2-Way Player ‘Most Annoying’ Defender