Davion Mitchell has already carved out a valuable niche in Miami, but the next step in his career could come down to a few precise adjustments. The Heat guard has become a high-level defender and a useful offensive piece, yet if he’s going to fit cleanly next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, there are a couple of areas that need sharpening.
Mitchell’s 2025-26 season gave Miami plenty to like. He averaged 9.3 points, 6.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.3 three-point field goals made in 28.6 minutes per game, while shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from deep. He also posted a strong 4.19 assist-to-turnover ratio, the kind of number that shows real control in the backcourt.
The defensive impact was even more impressive. Per Basketball Index, Mitchell finished in the 98th percentile in perimeter isolation defense and the 92nd percentile in off-ball chaser defense, putting him squarely among the league’s best on that end.
Still, the path to being a long-term starter in an Antetokounmpo-led offense is not quite complete. Mitchell shot only 64.6 percent from the free throw line, ranked in the 13th percentile in off-ball movement points per 75 possessions, and took just 4.1 threes per game in a system that wasn’t exactly built around heavy perimeter volume.
The off-ball numbers do come with one important caveat. Miami’s 2025-26 offense was unusual, leaning away from screen-setting and toward a read-and-react style that gave playmakers more freedom in an up-tempo setup. That may have naturally cut into how much teammates moved without the ball in half-court situations.
With Antetokounmpo now in the picture, though, the demand changes. The Heat will need more spacing and more clean perimeter looks, and Mitchell’s movement without the ball could become a real factor in creating them.
The shooting volume piece matters just as much. Mitchell isn’t shy about taking shots, but his efficiency suggests he should be getting more of them, especially from deep. He hit 38.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes this past season, yet only attempted 2.5 per game.
That becomes even more important in 2026-27, when Antetokounmpo is expected to draw heavy attention off the dribble and force defenses to collapse. Mitchell will need to stay available, stay ready and punish those rotations. In 2025-26, he ranked in the 53rd percentile in off-ball gravity.
Free throws are the other obvious swing skill. Mitchell took just 1.2 free throws per 36 minutes last season and is at 1.3 for his career.
For a player who gets into the paint as often as he does, that’s not enough. He ranked in the 28th percentile in drive foul drawn rate, per Basketball Index.
If Mitchell can clean up the free throws, move more decisively without the ball and take on more three-point volume, he can settle in as exactly the kind of point guard an Antetokounmpo offense needs.
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Pelle Larsson is part of that same discussion, with expectations that he could carve out a significant bench role after strong play in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. None of it is locked in yet, of course, but the way Miamis depth is being framed suggests a real fight for minutes could shape how the rotation looks when the season starts to matter. [Read more 🡒]