It's virtually impossible to contain a flaming NBA player. Once they get it going, no type of contest matters. The rim is Pacific Ocean-wide.
Davion Mitchell is one of the Heat's only hope to prevent these dynamo weapons from reaching that mode. All three of the Cleveland Cavaliers contributing guards scored 25 plus. Ty Jerome netted 28 points in his playoffs debut, catching many fans off guard. He won't average that many points, but Jerome is a ball player.
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland did what they've done all year in Game 1, but Davion Mitchell could foil their plans before they heat up. Mitchell played 33 minutes, which is right around what he played in the regular season in Miami, but that number needs another uptick. The easiest way to do that is to start him.
Davion Mitchell needs to play more minutes.
The Cavs guards repeatedly put Tyler Herro in pick-and-roll situations and went to work. Herro competes often, but the Cavs guards were crafty and explosive enough to see past his contests. It's tougher to attack the 6-foot-1 Mitchell. He's a small guard, but his bulldog mentality and light feet equate to elite screen navigation.
Mitchell can stay with the Cavs guards, making it tougher to get to their spots. It helps that none of Jerome, Donovan Mitchell, or Garland are bigger guards. Cleveland could still go at Herro with Mitchell on the floor, but playing them together more could lessen those opportunities with Mitchell staying attached to his matchups.
Offensively, Mitchell continues to impress. He racked up 18 points and nine assists in Game 1. The shooting has stayed steady. If defenses are fine with leaving a shooter who's shot 45 percent in the regular season and 57 percent from 3 in the postseason. Have at it.
Not only is the shot flowing, but Mitchell is swinging the ball around with conviction. Mitchell assisted five teammates and created 22 points on his nine assists. These dimes came on the run and in the halfcourt.
Mitchell is doing his part. Pushing the pace in transition, attacking the seams, and playing mosquitoes buzzing in your ear defense are all in the cards for Mitchell.
With the Cavs guards appearing to be a three-headed monster, let your menacing gremlin stay attached to one of them, Miami. Playing Mitchell more may not be a series shifter, but it's an attempt to slow down one of these dynamic guards while not giving up much on the other side of the floor.
Maybe you're giving up spacing, but Mitchell is hitting shot after shot in a Heat uniform. His workhorse mentality needs to be on the floor as much as possible.