Davion Mitchell is clear and ready to return to the lineup for the Miami Heat. That means the next time the Heat hit the floor for their next preseason game, they're going to get a huge boost. Mitchell hasn't played in a game this year yet, as he's been recovering from a calf injury, but he's set to make his preseason debut Sunday night, against the Orlando Magic.
As you'd expect, there's plenty of intrigue surrounding the return of Mitchell, especially with the way he closed last season. Mitchell had a resurgent 30 games during the second half of last year, in which he averaged 10 points and five assists on 50 percent shooting from the field.
But he managed to take his game to another level in April, when he averaged 14 points and seven assists over the last 13 games of the season (which included four postseason games).
How much can the Heat lean on Davion Mitchell?
The hope is that Mitchell will be able to pick up where he left off last season, but that's still far from a guarantee. If he can, though, that may be enough to completely change the outlook for a Heat team that certainly needs some hope to get behind.
With so many questions surrounding the Heat in the backcourt, there's quietly some pressure on Mitchell to emerge as one of the consistent forces this season. Even more so with Tyler Herro out for the first month of the season. Mitchell could be the steady force that the Heat needs at the point guard position.
In theory, Mitchell could be exactly the defensive-minded guard that the Heat needs next to Norman Powell and Herro. As both of those players are more offensive-minded guards at this point in their careers, Mitchell could help pick up the load on the defensive end of the floor.
And if Mitchell can also chip in with some playmaking and scoring here and there, it will take significant pressure off those two players - perhaps even to the extent where they don't feel a need to force the issues.
At times last season, especially for Herro, that was a big problem for the Heat's offense.
The Heat won't be completely 100 percent healthy for quite some time, but there's no question that the return of Mitchell will certainly give this team a much-needed boost a little more than a week out from the start of the regular season.