MIAMI – The Miami Heat secured a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night, with several players contributing to the victory. However, one standout was newcomer Davion Mitchell, who arrived as part of the Jimmy Butler trade. While Mitchell has been recognized as a versatile player for the Heat, he delivered his best performance in the new uniform, catching the attention of head coach Erik Spoelstra.
Primarily known for his defensive skills, Mitchell showcased his offensive abilities by scoring 20 points, making seven of eight shots from the field, and hitting all five of his three-point attempts, which tied his career high. He also dished out six assists, highlighting his playmaking skills—an area that Spoelstra considers crucial for Miami, as he told ClutchPoints.
“He just wants to fit in. He wants to, you know, help in whatever way that he can,” Spoelstra said. “And, you know, I think as he spends more time with us, he’ll find opportunities to be more aggressive. You know, he’s certainly doing that defensively. His playmaking and his ability just to get the ball where we want it to go is an important aspect of playing that position for us. But also, you know, those random plays where he’s able to drive and make some plays, you know, I think that’s something we can build on for sure.”
As the Heat work through their current struggles, Mitchell appears to be one of the solutions, having been in the starting lineup since his debut on Feb. 10 against the Boston Celtics. Despite Miami facing a rough patch following the Butler trade, Wednesday’s win might be the momentum shift they needed to turn their season around.
The game against the Hawks started as an offensive battle, but the Heat took control in the second half by tightening their defense, with Mitchell playing a key role. Speaking to the media after the game, Mitchell acknowledged that the team is still building chemistry while emphasizing his unique defensive impact.
“We got to kind of get used to each other,” Mitchell said. “I mean, for me, I don’t think they had a defender like me ever. I kind of get out around a lot of screens. Sometimes I mess up the coverages when I’m supposed to switch, trying to get over the screen. So this is the connection that we got, the chemistry we got to have, especially defensively. It takes time, and I think we did a really good job in that in the second half.”
