The Miami Heat's refusal to sign another playmaking guard (or even just add to their backcourt depth) this offseason may have unintentionally put Davion Mitchell in an impossible position heading into this upcoming season.
That's because if the Heat are going to outperform expectations and emerge as a legit championship contender in the Eastern Conference, they're going to need Mitchell to take the lead-guard position by the horns.
Davion Mitchell has immense pressure on him this season
With little depth behind him, it's pretty much Mitchell or bust for the Heat this season in the backcourt. It's one of the bigger reasons why most don't consider the Heat a contender right now. It's not that Mitchell is not a good player, but it's more the idea that there is just so little margin for error with the lack of depth behind him.
The Heat may be loaded in the frontcourt (with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo), stellar on the wing (with Pelle Larsson and Andrew Wiggins), and even added some much-needed shooting (with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson), but the lack of an addition at the point guard position could be the one true Achilles' heel for this team.
In fact, according to Heat insider Barry Jackson's connections, Miami's lack of depth in the backcourt is the biggest reason why they're being slept on as a contender.
"A longtime NBA scout on whether the Heat are true title contenders: 'No. Their guard play isn’t good enough. Just not good enough.”
While the Heat have the potential to shut down that narrative this season, there is some truth to that. If Miami does end up falling short of expectations this season, it will almost certainly be due to their lack of depth in the backcourt.
Unless Mitchell is about to make an unprecedented developmental jump in his sixth season in the league, the Heat are going to have some left to be desired at the point guard position. With the way the roster stands at this point, I can't imagine there would be much pushback on that idea.
Even with Giannis and Bam, the Heat need a borderline All-Star guard in the backcourt to give them even an opportunity to compete at a high level in the East. I'm not sure if Mitchell is capable of filling that role.
He's been better in Miami, but that may be too much pressure on Mitchell's shoulders. And that, more than anything, may ultimately be the reason why Mitchell ends up disappointing, no matter how this season unravels for the Heat.
Mitchell has to have the season of his career to play at the level that the Heat need him to. It's championship or bust for Miami, and they need an All-Star guard to get them there. Mitchell just might not be able to fill that role, and that's no fault of his own.
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