Kings preseason final thoughts: Davion Mitchell’s shooting, Keegan Murray’s

The Sacramento Kings finally got themselves a preseason win Thursday night as they defeated the Utah Jazz 116-113 at Golden 1 Center. While the Kings finished the preseason 1-4, there’s plenty to dissect from their five games. Let’s go ahead and unpack a few.

Jones looks like the real deal

Don’t just take my word for it. Coach Mike Brown noted that rookie Colby Jones’ play put pressure on Brown for more minutes prior to Sacramento’s preseason finale against the Jazz.

“It’s going to be hard to keep (Colby) off the floor,” Brown said during his pregame availability Thursday. “The neat part about that is, it’s a competition. Real competition. If you’re not getting it done, there’s somebody else (who) can come take your spot. And it’s not a threat at all. That’s just what my job is. My job is to try to put the best five out on the floor based on that situation whenever I can. If Colby keeps doing what he’s doing, it’s going to be hard to keep him on that bench.”

Brown subbed Jones in third off that bench Thursday. He finished behind Malik Monk – who had a team-high 23 points – with 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range to go along with three rebounds, three steals and two assists. More impressive than any of his stats, though, is his feel for the game and sense of belonging on the floor in such a short amount of time in the NBA. He spent three seasons at Xavier, so he’s a 21-year-old rookie.

But not every rookie who’s able to legally enjoy an alcoholic beverage or get into a nightclub plays this way.

He’s been in the right place at the right time, making the right plays far too many times for it to be a coincidence. It’s still early in his young career, but the 6-foot-6 guard seems to have a poise that can’t be taught. And while his pace on the floor appears to be innate, Jones is still eager to learn as much as he can.

“Colby’s nice, Colby’s nice,” Monk said after his 23-point performance Thursday. “He listens, asks questions about anything he’s confused on. I think that’s why he’s grasping things real quick. … We’re going to need him at some point this year. It’s big that he’s showing these signs early.”

The rook averaged 9.0 points, 1.8 assists, 1.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals on 40.9 percent from 3 in just 15.4 minutes per game during the preseason. He fell to the Kings with the No. 34 pick in the 2023 draft and has the makings of a potential gem.

“I’m really trying to come in and do whatever (Brown) says,” Jones said Thursday. “And just impact the game on both offense and defense.”

Through preseason play, he looks to have accomplished that goal.

Mitchell’s improved 3-point shooting

Davion Mitchell, also known as “Off Night” because of his ability to cause whoever he’s guarding to have one, looks extremely comfortable taking and making 3s. His most glaring insufficiency last postseason was his shot from behind the arc. While his…