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Heat Player Names Cavs' X-Factor In NBA Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jay Postrado | Last updated Apr 22, 2025 12:30 PM ET

Depth is usually what the Miami Heat boasts over other teams during the NBA Playoffs. This time around against the Cleveland Cavaliers, that does not look to be the case. After a rough regular season filled with shakeups, the Coach Erik Spoelstra-led squad has been without players and even needed to change schemes.

While the Cavs launched a plethora of players against the Heat, Davion Mitchell saw one of his opponents rise more than others. Coach Kenny Atkinson could have chosen anyone from the roster to pop off but Ty Jerome popped off and there was nothing the Heat could do, via Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“That’s what makes that team really good and the [No. 1 offense]. That makes them good because when one of them goes out, you've got Ty Jerome coming in. There is no drop-off," Mitchell said.

The Heat's defensive menace was right. Jerome put up a masterclass and toyed with Coach Erik Spoelstra's schemes throughout the game. He scored an insane 28 points while knocking down 66.7% of his shots from the field and 62.5% of them from outside.

Jerome also dropped three assists to keep the Cavs' offense going. All of these were done by the guard without committing a single turnover. This now means that Mitchell and the other Heat guards will have to step up in shutting down Jerome during Game 2 of this NBA Playoffs clash.

Will the Heat have enough personnel and run the proper schemes to limit their opponents' production?

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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