Why Davion Mitchell's rim pressure is important for Heat's offense - Hot Hot Hoops

Davion Mitchell (Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)

After three straight bottom-third finishes offensively, the Miami Heat had to reinvent their whole offense. With the help of consultant Noah LaRoche — previously in Memphis — the Miami Heat prioritized a fast-paced, free-flowing offense that prioritized spacing and paint touches.

The change is paying off. Through 17 games, the Heat are leading the NBA in scoring and rank 12th in overall offensive efficiency. Multiple players are having career-best seasons, and one of the most impactful contributors so far has been guard Davion Mitchell, whose rim pressure has added a new dimension to Miami’s offense.

If the Heat can maintain this offensive surge, fans and bettors alike may want to keep a close eye on their odds in the East. You can explore basketball betting at Bovada to back Miami’s momentum this season.

Davion Mitchell’s rim pressure continues to be vital for Heat offense:

Acquired ahead of last year’s trade deadline from the Toronto Raptors, Mitchell, 27, has been a revelation for Miami.

Mitchell averaged 10.3 points, 5.4 assists and 1.4 steals on 50.4 percent shooting and 44.7 percent from deep last year. While he hasn’t been as efficient from 3-point range, Mitchell’s one-upped it through 17 games, averaging 10.4 points, 7.9 dimes and 1.5 steals.

He’s been the Heat’s best playmaker through this early-season sample, but the 6-foot-2 guard is at his best when he’s applying rim pressure and adding paint touches.

“[Davion Mitchell]’s a great competitor,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said after their 115-113 win over the New York Knicks earlier this month. “Offensively, we want to just pump him with confidence because he, naturally, loves setting guys up.

“But we’re a better team when he’s aggressive, when he’s getting downhill, when he’s taking his open threes. It was a good balance.”

Mitchell is second on the Heat in total drives (197) and drives per game (11.6) through 16 games. In those possessions, he’s shooting 60.6 percent, the seventh-highest of the 87 players who have logged at least 100 drives, according to NBA.com’s shot tracking data.

“I think a lot of people in the league know I’m trying to get downhill, make a play or try to finish,” he said after Heat’s win over Knicks. “I think throughout the game, as we’re running, they don’t have that many legs. They’re not in gaps. So I see those open lanes and I can get to my spots and I just make the layup. I make it simple.

“If somebody steps up, I swing the ball and try to make the right play every time.”

The most fashionable form of offense is generating paint touches and finding ways to bend defenses. Mitchell does that as well as any player on Miami. And his dual-threat ability to make the right reads — whether he’s passing or shooting — is invaluable.

Why Davion Mitchell’s rim pressure is important for Heat’s offense – Hot Hot Hoops

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