The unsung hero of the Miami Heat's great start

Miami's defense ranks 6th in defensive rating (111.4) and 3rd in steals (10.4). Much thanks to Davion Mitchell averaging 1.6 steals per game (19th in the NBA), and his defensive tenacity that is shown every night. He is nicknamed "off-night" for a reason. Davion Mitchell had 5 steals against the Trail Blazers and has consistently locked down the NBA's best scorers. Davion's 19 steals are good for fourth in the NBA.

2. Davion Mitchell Playmaking

Now Davion's growth as a point guard is the most encouraging sign and arguably the most important aspect in Miami's success. Davion Mitchell is 6th in the NBA in assist to turnover ratio (5), has the NBA's 5th most assists with (75) and is having a career year as a playmaker. Davion is truly embracing Miami's point guard role and engineering one of the NBA's best offenses.

Now Davion is about as selfless as a player as you can imagine, but he does it with great decision making. Davion always seemingly makes the right pass, which is why his assist to turnover ratio is so good. But he also isn't afraid to score either, showcased by his double double in the season opener in Orlando (16 points and 12 assists).

Now the question becomes, what do you do with Davion once Herro returns? Does he slide to the bench, does Powell, does Wiggins, or maybe, just maybe does Tyler Herro come off the bench. Time will certainly tell with that, but Davion Mitchell has meshed with everyone he has come into contact with on the Heat, but most importantly has formed an amazing connection with Bam Adebayo, Miami's All-Star center.

So, the Miami Heat's top 10 offense, and defense has seemingly found an engine at a premium price, and it will be interesting to see whether his impact comes from the starting lineup or off the bench when Tyler Herro returns.

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