Here’s Miami Heat shooting guard Norman Powell on the productive nights of Dru Smith & Davion Mitchell after Saturday’s 136-131 home win vs. the Portland Trail Blazers.
*Smith: 13 points/5 rebounds/6 assists/4 steals/4-6 FG/5-6 FT/+20 +/-*
*Mitchell: 11 points/2 rebounds/7 assists/5 steals/4-7 FG/1-2 3-PT/2-2 FT/+4 +/-*
(via Miami Heat):
“Man, I think they gave Dru or Davion one of my steals. I should have had three or something. I don’t know. Nah, but they’ve been great. Especially D-Mitch, nickname they got for him is Off-Night and everything he’s able to do: pressuring the ball, guarding different guys, blowing up screens, being able to switch and hold his own on bigger guys, being physical. We need that from him every single night — that point-of-attack offensively and defensively. Setting guys up, getting into the paint. Defensively, taking a challenge and guarding their best players and making it difficult for them.
“And same with Dru. Dru comes in, he just has a nose for the ball. He knows where to be. He’s in the right spots at all times. He’s playing the passing lanes. He’s in the shrink spots reaching and using his body. He’s very smart. He has a high IQ, especially on the defensive end. But we need them to do that every single night, and they’ve been bringing that and taking the challenge.”
