Video thread on an important Mitch development from this season that shows good BBIQ:

Slipping off-ball screens

Defenders are conditioned to guard the perimeter and when shooters run off screens, the screen defender has to show toward the shooter so he’s not wide open.

Mitch notices this and when his defender steps out to show, he scoots right behind him to the rim

This is one of the reasons a Mitch + RJ + shooters lineup is so appealing. The paint is wide open

(Hoping the Knicks would consistently play shooting is a long shot, I know)

When he’s setting an off-ball screen, it’s easier for Mitch to read his defender.

Here he notices that Trez is dead set on Portis, and as soon as Portis catches Mitch is gone

Mitch often gets pigeon holed into a role where he is only setting on-ball screens up top, but this is a way that he can continue to make a difference when the defense is not focused on him

The long and short of it, please play Mitch with shooters. Thank you.