RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Davion Mitchell reveals how Erik Spoelstra's belief has helped him thrive in Miami originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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In the 2026 offseason, the main story surrounding the Miami Heat is Giannis Antetokounmpo's arrival. He was traded to the Heat for a massive trade package that included the exits of guards like Tyler Herro and Kasparas Jakucionis.
Considering those players are tapped as primary ball-handlers, the Heat have lost their point guards. Thankfully, head coach Erik Spoelstra still has a player he truly believes in, and that is Davion Mitchell. The player nicknamed "Off Night" is ready to step up and be the starting point guard.
Davion Mitchell is glad to have Erik Spoelstra's faith in him as the starting point guard
During the 2025-26 season, Mitchell averaged 9.3 points and 6.5 assists per game. The latter is quite encouraging because Mitchell has always been known as a defensive stopper. However, that has led to people overlooking his contributions on offense.
With his improvements as a playmaker and shooter, that could make him one of the most underrated starting point guards in the league. Alongside the likes of Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, Mitchell could be the stable point guard the Heat have needed for a long while.
MORE: D'Angelo Russell believes Davion Mitchell could break out for the Heat
Mitchell will get an uptick with his numbers in the 2026-27 season because he won't be sharing minutes with the likes of Herro and Jakucionis anymore. His defensive ability also makes him such a reliable player for Spoelstra, which should lead to a bigger role moving forward.
"Literally Spo, I started the first game. I’m getting DNPs in Toronto cause they are trying to, quote-on-quote, tank. I come here, and I start. He told me, 'Listen, I want you to be yourself. I don’t care about none of anything that happened in the past; I want you to go be yourself.’ If a coach tells you that, bro, it’s like, how can I ever fail," Mitchell said about Spoelstra's belief in him helping him grow .
With that kind of belief, any player would be ready to run through a wall for their coach. Mitchell is ready to prove that he belongs in the Heat's starting lineup with his performances. He does not need to convince his head coach because he seems to be one of the biggest believers.
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Erik Spoelstra loves Giannis Antetokounmpo's fit within the Miami Heat rotation
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