The Miami Heat made history by being the first 10th seed to make the playoffs through the Play-In Tournament. It took two road wins, including Friday’s overtime victory over the Hawks to secure a first-round playoff matchup against the top-seeded Cavaliers. Miami would not be here without Davion Mitchell.
It appeared the former first-round draft pick was a throw-in to make the math of the Jimmy Butler trade work. Mitchell played an inconsistent role for the Raptors to begin the season. Toronto did not want to pay the soon-to-be restricted free agent, so they sent him to South Beach in the five-team swap.
The Heat are not done making moves, but they hope to pull a massive playoff upset first. Cleveland had a dominant regular season but was bounced in the second round last year. Miami is a massive underdog and needs everything to go right, including head coach Erik Spoelstra making a needed adjustment.
Erik Spoelstra must start Davion Mitchell over Alec Burks in the playoffs
Burks started his final ten regular season games and both Play-In wins, but the 33-year-old does not have a ton of trust. He had two points, three rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block, but played just 17 minutes against the Bulls. Spo cut his playing time to 11 against the Hawks. Burks struggled so much he played just the first three-plus minutes of the second half.
Mitchell took his place down the stretch and into overtime. He hit three massive 3-pointers in extra session to lift Miami to victory. The 26-year-old finished with 16 points, five assists, and three rebounds in 40 minutes of action just three days after going for 15 with nine dimes against the Bulls. He is clearly ready for the moment and thriving when the Heat need him most.
Coach Spo must make a change. He should start Mitchell against the Cavs. It gives Miami another plus defender to match up against Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Keeping the two All-Star guards in check is a key to the Heat pulling the gigantic upset. That likely means 40 minutes of Miami’s newest underrated weapon, but he’s ready for that challenge.
Alec Burks may slip from the rotation entirely. Spoelstra has Haywood Highsmith, Duncan Robinson, and Kyle Anderson to use if he wants more minutes from a reserve. The head coach may even call on Jaime Jaquez or Pelle Larsson as a change of pace. Burks just isn’t cutting it, and it is time to ride the hot hand.
The Miami Heat already made history, but they are not satisfied. They want to compete with the top teams and make a deep playoff run. Miami has a chance, but everything must go right, including Erik Spoelstra pulling all the right strings. Do not be surprised to see Davion Mitchell draw the start in Game 1. Coach Spo is one of the best in the business, after all.