Davion Mitchell Joins the Elite! Miami Heat Star Enters Rare Company with LeBron James and Jimmy Butler

Despite lacking a flashy playstyle, Davion Mitchell is still highly effective in what the Miami Heat want.

After losing Gabe Vincent to free agency in 2023, the Heat lacked an elite defensive point guard with a high offensive upside. Mitchell has solved this problem completely. Since being traded to the Heat from the Toronto Raptors, he has been their best perimeter defender.

Through seven games with the Heat, Mitchell averaged 10 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals on 55.1 percent shooting and 46.2 percent from three-point range.

His three-point shooting is a significant reason for his tremendous impact on the Heat beyond his defensive capabilities. Against the Atlanta Hawks, Mitchell joined an elite company in the history of the Heat franchise. After LeBron James and Jimmy Butler, he became the most recent Heat player to record at least 20 points, five assists, and two steals on 85 percent shooting in a game.

HEAT VS HAWKS TAKEAWAYS: THE MIAMI HEAT BOUNCE BACK WITH BEST GAME OF THE YEAR

The Miami Heat (27-30) avoided three consecutive losses with a dominant victory against the Atlanta Hawks (27-32) 131-109.

Here’s a look at four major takeaways from the matchup:

1. Duncan Robinson had one of his best games of the year.

Robinson finished with 24 points, five rebounds, and six assists on 56.3 percent shooting and 46.2 percent from three-point range. After their worst three-point shooting performance of the year, Robinson’s six threes were a significant reason this was one of the Heat’s best. They need Robinson’s elite shooting to help unlock their offense.

2. Tyler Herro finished with his ninth double-double of the season.

Herro finished with 24 points, two rebounds, and 10 assists on 43.8 percent shooting and 50 percent from three-point range. Beyond his four threes, his best attribute was his playmaking. He got into the paint several times and swung the ball to the perimeter, where many players could knock down their shots.

3. Haywood Highsmith returned to the rotation and did not disappoint. 

After falling out of the rotation since the Jimmy Butler trade, Highsmith finally got some playing time, and his contributions were everywhere. He finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, and five assists on 80 percent shooting and 80 percent from three-point range. Highsmith’s season-high four offensive rebounds constantly led to three-point shots all game. He showed his value defensively by switching onto Trae Young several times for key defensive stops and finished with one steal and one block.

4. Davion Mitchell had his best game on the Heat.

Mitchell finished with 20 points, two steals, and six assists on 87.5 percent shooting and 100 percent from his five attempts from three-point range. Mitchell only missed one shot all game. His role as the starting point guard will develop in time, but the Heat have been missing his ability to knock down threes while being an elite defender since they let Gabe Vincent walk in 2023.

MIAMI HEAT MAY LOSE A KEY PIECE FOR A WHILE DUE TO A FRACTURED HAND

During his breakout season, where he finally gets a defined role as the Miami Heat’s sixth man, Nikola Jovic will face another setback to his career.

During the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks, Jovic collided with Kyle Kuzma and fractured his hand. At halftime, he went to get X-rays on his hand, which revealed a fracture on the second metacarpal. He was ruled out for the rest of the game. Before exiting, he finished with seven points and two rebounds on 75 percent shooting and 50 percent from three-point range.

Stephen Curry suffered a similar injury in 2019, which kept him out for a few months and required surgery. The Heat haven’t estimated how long Jovic will be out. He will visit a specialist later this week to determine his outlook on recovery.

Jovic spoke about his post-game injury and gave an update on how he was feeling.

“It happened in the first quarter,” Jovic explained. “As soon as I came in, I kinda bumped into Kuzma. I’m not sure exactly what happened. I just felt it hurt a lot, and I guess it’s broken. I wouldn’t say I was shocked because it kinda got swollen up quickly during the game. I just didn’t want to come out because we were doing good.”