Davion Mitchell has come into his own with the Miami Heat, solidifying his place as an elite defender and emerging as a well-rounded offensive role player. As the Giannis Antetokounmpo era begins, however, Mitchell will need to make a few pivotal adjustments to his game.
If Mitchell can increase his off-ball movement and improve his efficiency at the free throw line, he can be the perfect point guard for an Antetokounmpo-led offense.
Mitchell turned in an excellent 2025-26 season for the Heat. 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, shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from beyond the arc. He also produced an exceptional assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.19.
Most importantly, Mitchell ranked among the best defenders in the NBA, finishing in the 98th percentile in perimeter isolation defense and the 92nd percentile in off-ball chaser defense, per Basketball Index.
There are, however, three arguable issues that Mitchell will need to resolve to solidify his place as a long-term starter. For one, he shot just 64.6 percent at the free throw line. He also ranked in the 13th percentile in off-ball movement points per 75 possessions and attempted a low-in-this-era-and-system 4.1 threes per game.
If Mitchell can shoot a higher percentage at the line, move more fluidly when working without the ball, and shoot more threes to optimize spacing for a downhill superstar teammate, his future will be secured.
Davion Mitchell's areas of improvement: Shooting, movement
An important caveat for Mitchell's off-ball inactivity is that the Heat ran a rather unique offense in 2025-26. They devalued screen-setting in favor of a read-and-react type of system that empowered the playmakers to make judgment calls in an up-tempo offense. That may have limited teammates' off-ball movement in half-court settings.
With Antetokounmpo in the fold, however, the Heat will need to turn their focus to creating open looks along the perimeter—and Mitchell's off-ball activity could go a long way toward doing so.
That leads directly to his second action item: Increasing his volume as a shooter. He's certainly not a reluctant shooter, but given his efficiency, he should be taking more shots—particularly from distance. This past season, he buried 38.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes but attempted a fairly low 2.5 per game.
In 2026-27, with Antetokounmpo attacking off the bounce and defenses inevitably collapsing to trap him, Mitchell must make himself available and shoot with more confidence to improve his off-ball gravity. He ranked in the 53rd percentile in off-ball gravity in 2025-26.
On the topic of volume, that may actually be the most important facet of his free throw woes. He attempted just 1.2 free throws per 36 minutes in 2025-26 and sits at 1.3 for his career. For a player who excels at getting into the paint, ranking in the 28th percentile in drive foul drawn rate, per Basketball Index, simply isn't sufficient.
If Mitchell can work on these potential flaws and maintain his elite quality as a defender, then Antetokounmpo will have the point guard he needs for the foreseeable future.
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