MIAMI — The lack of depth at point guard created the scenario. But the depths that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has had to go to with Davion Mitchell’s minutes nonetheless stands somewhat surprising.
Not only does Mitchell lead the Heat in minutes per game, more than two more per game than Bam Adebayo and three more per game than Giannis Antetokounmpo, he has led the team in minutes in each of the last four games, standing ninth in the NBA in fourth-quarter minutes.
With Dru Smith having been held out of three of the last four games as the only other point guard on the roster, Spoelstra has had to buy precious minutes with combo guards in relief of Mitchell.
It has reached a point where Mitchell has been counted on to produce at both ends of the court.
“I wanted to be open to him as a competitor,” Spoelstra said of Mitchell, whose defensive chops with Baylor’s national-championship team in 2021 were his ticket to the NBA. “There’s certainly some things we liked about him, particularly from his college days. To win a national championship is not nothing. You have to have some competitive makeup about you.
“And then at the end of that first (2024-25) season with us, he was tremendous in those two play-in games.”
So confidence built to the degree that Mitchell has become late-game indispensable, including in Tuesday night’s 115-109 victory over the Utah Jazz, when he was the lone Heat player to play all 12 fourth-quarter minutes.
“He showed sparks of who he could possibly be, and he’s gotten himself in fantastic shape,” Spoelstra said, with the Heat opening a five-game homestand Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Kaseya Center, before returning to their homecourt to host the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. “One of these days, his head coach won’t play him 37 to 40 minutes. We’ll get there. But I love what he’s doing.”
Mitchell said this is the reason he put in the extra work in the offseason, to be available and durable as a starting point guard for a team with contention visions.
“Body feels great,” Mitchell said after Thursday’s practice. “Yeah, I trained all summer for these moments, for whatever moment that came to me. I just try to be prepared. And I got in shape, body feels good.
“Usually in this time, after back-to-backs, I’ll feel sore or something like that. But I feel great.”
Two questionable
Klay Thompson and Pelle Larsson did not practice Thursday, with both listed as questionable for Friday night’s NBA Cup game against the Cavaliers.
Thompson has been dealing with a sore left ankle that resulted from his crucial chase-down block in the closing ticks of Tuesday night’s victory in Utah. He has yet to miss a game this season.
Larsson missed practice due to illness, having previously missed time during the preseason due to illness.
Antetokounmpo, who continues to wear wrist protection when not playing, is listed as probable with a sprained right wrist.
Two-way player Vlad Goldin is listed as out due to G League assignment.
Pelle’s choice
Despite shooting a team-best .469 on 3-pointers among rotation players, on 2.9 attempts per game, Larsson said he still is playing largely with a pass-first mentality.
“Usually if you get a kick out, you either got to shoot it or swing it,” he said. “You can’t really drive right back into everybody. And then, if you get a swing pass, you have more freedom to kind of drive.
“I like to drive because that creates for others, as well. But if you have an open look, you got to shoot it.”
Larsson has started the past two games in place of Andrew Wiggins, who had started the first nine. Wiggins is at .333 from beyond the arc this season, on 4.1 attempts per game.
Spoelstra said what matters most is movement on the offensive end.
“In general, I guess I could sum it up, I think if we stand, the more we stand off the ball, the worse we’ll be,” he said.