Miami Heat Roundtable: Whatever It Takes To Get Donovan Mitchell – Kenneth’s Take
Oh brother, this might not go well. Unlike the rest of my All U Can Heat brethren, I am not on the Donovan Mitchell train.
Kenneth’s Take (@K_Said_Que)
Donovan Mitchell has been one of the league’s most prolific scorers for some time now, however, is the way he gets it done the best way? Though he gets it done from the field above the league average, about 45 percent for him compared to a league average of about 41 percent in this past season, it’s still not that much higher.
Can you invest what it will cost to attain him for a guy that’s just above average? Listen, he’s an electric scorer who can put up points, but is that because he’s that good or has that many bites at the apple in a Utah offense that is built around him?
In the Miami Heat’s ball and man movement style of ball, could he be as effective and impactful? It’s worth a question.
There is also the defense of it all that everyone mentions. Mitchell isn’t a good defender, you have to be honest.
No matter how many points you score, allowing just as many isn’t a good thing, right? Besides, that’s the case made against the Duncan Robinson’s and Tyler Herro’s of the world right now.
Their point production is no good if they are going to allow as many, right? That’s the same thing that can be said about Mitchell.
The difference is this though. Though Herro and Robinson appear to be trying all the time, you just can’t always say that about Mitchell.
There is also this. You already have Kyle Lowry in the rotation, though some might say to land Mitchell would mean that he’s gone, but could you deal with that lack of size in your two starting guards?
Mitchell is tiny, is a volume chucker if you are being fair, and isn’t defensively as adept as you would like your Miami Heat players to be. For me, to give up all that you would have to in order to acquire him and then to have to pay him the escalating $32 million-plus (that’ll slowly start to creep closer to $40 million as time goes on), it just isn’t worth it.
If it works out, it still may not mean a title because of his defensive deficiencies and what we have seen in his postseason history. And if it doesn’t work out, the perceived history of his time in Utah also tells us how ugly that situation has the potential to get.
The risk just might not be worth the potential reward. Only time will tell though, that’s the only certainty here—no matter which way you slice it.