Mitchell Has To Run This Offense Now

By the Heat Nightly Desk · Monday, September 28

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo are both listed as questionable to open training camp, each with an estimated return of October 1, which leaves Davion Mitchell as the guard steering Miami's offense in the meantime. He is not being asked to score; he is being asked to run things correctly, and last season's numbers say he can.

Davion Mitchell of the Heat — Davion Mitchell. Photo: LockedIN Magazine, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The job right now

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo are both questionable to start camp, knee and back respectively, each with an estimated return of October 1. Until they're cleared, Davion Mitchell is the guard bringing the ball up and deciding where it goes. That is not a small job on a team still figuring out its rotation.

What last season showed

Mitchell played 70 games at 28.6 minutes, averaging 9.3 points, 6.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 steal, with only 1.5 turnovers a night. He shot 49.0 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from three on 3.3 attempts, and 64.6 percent at the line. Six and a half assists against fewer than two turnovers is a point guard who protects the ball while still creating.

The efficiency case

His advanced numbers back it up: a 117.2 offensive rating, 113.0 defensive rating and a plus-4.2 net rating, all posted on a modest 13.7 percent usage. A 58.2 percent true shooting mark and a 28.5 percent assist rate mean he does damage without needing plays run for him. He is a connector, not a shot-hunter.

Money and pressure

Mitchell is set to make $12.4 million in 2026-27. All U Can Heat wrote that his standing could be tested with D'Angelo Russell suddenly available, a sign that his hold on the job isn't unquestioned even after a clean, efficient season. He is not listed on the injury report, so there's no excuse for a slow start.

Bottom line

Mitchell doesn't need to become a scorer. He needs to prove last season's ball security and efficiency hold up as the primary option, not the complement, while Miami's two biggest names work their way back. Anything less invites the exact competition All U Can Heat already flagged.

What is Davion Mitchell's role for the Heat this season?

He is running Miami's offense as the steady ball-handler, a job that matters even more early while Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo are both questionable to open camp.

How much is Davion Mitchell making in 2026-27?

He is set to earn $12.4 million this season, his first year of a new deal with the Heat.