(Mandatory Credit: Matthew Smith-Imagn Images)
We are officially one month removed from the conclusion of the 2024-25 Miami Heat season, which was one of the worst since the turn of the century. Over the next several (week)days, we will be reviewing how each Heat player performed throughout the 2024-25 season, recapping important numbers, best game(s), and their future outlook with the team. Today, we will be reviewing guard Davion Mitchell!
Let’s dive into it, shall we?!?
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Brief Overview:
2024-25 stats (30 games):
10.3 PTS
2.7 REB
5.3 AST
50.4 FG%
44.7 3P%
61.1 TS%
Acquired by the Heat from Toronto in the Jimmy Butler blockbuster, Mitchell’s tenure with Miami couldn’t have been more seamless.
Coming out of Baylor, Mitchell was a pitbull defensively with good guard skills and an improving jump shot. He didn’t fit in Sacramento, saw his highest usage in his half season in Toronto and parlayed that into playing his best basketball of his life with the Miami Heat. He instantly became the Heat’s best point-of-attack defender–which they were sorely missing–while shooting nearly 45 percent from 3-point range on relative volume. You couldn’t have asked for much more, given his pedigree.
Ultimately, Mitchell didn’t need the ball in his hands to make an impact, which he proved on a night-to-night basis. Now, the Heat will be tasked with re-signing the former top-10 pick, which will be easier said than done depending on other moves they make this offseason.
Numbers To Note:
64.3 – The Miami Heat’s struggles in the fourth quarter this season have been pretty well documented. The team was bad, but there were plenty of big Davion Mitchell moments laced in. Mitchell sported a 64.3 effective field goal percentage in the fourth quarter post-All-Star break, the second-best mark on the team (min. 20 FGA), including going 3-of-6 from the floor in one-possession games with less than three minutes left.
1.7 – Mitchell was one of the Heat’s most pesky point-of-attack defenders. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 1.7 steals per 75 possessions post-All-Star break, recording multiple steals in 10 of his 30 games with the Heat. He added a toughness to the Heat defense, even though the rest of the puzzle pieces (outside of Bam Adebayo) were oftentimes shaky.
3.2 – Mitchell was never viewed as a lead guard, but the strides that he’s made as a playmaker over his four-year career were evident. He boasted a 3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio with the Heat, the best of his career.
Best Game?
Mitchell’s best game, by a slim margin, was his near-perfect 20-point performance in the Heat’s 131-109 win against the MiamI Heat on Feb. 26. Mitchell shot 7-of-8 from the floor and 5-of-5 from 3-point range, in addition to six assists and two steals.
What’s next:
Mitchell will be entering restricted free agency for the first time in his career. According to reports, he could command offer sheets upwards of $14 million, which the Heat would have 48 hours to match once they offer him the qualifying offer (making him a RFA). Do I see a team like the Nets throwing cap space at him? Sure. But I also see the Heat doing what they can to prevent him from signing elsewhere.
I have long believed that they should re-sign him. Every player has a price. Of course, how you allocate every dollar has never been more important; it’s not the first time I’ve said that, nor will it be the last. In the perfect scenario, he’s likely a 6th or 7th man off the bench. But he’s more than capable of providing a spark for 25-30-plus minutes per night regardless of his role. You keep like-minded individuals in your organization and you figure the rest out–and Mitchell fits that mold.
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