(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The Miami Heat may have dropped a close game to the in-state rival Orlando Magic on opening night 125-121, but there were still several positives to serve as a blueprint moving forward.
For starters, coach Erik Spoelstra’s goal of running offense at a faster pace came to fruition. Miami put up 39 points in the first quarter alone, and came out firing on all cylinders. It was a competitive and high scoring matchup the entire night.
The Heat had six players score in double-digits. One of those scorers was Davion Mitchell, who picked up right where he left off with his career-best numbers last season— proving even more that he is a perfect fit in Miami’s system. Filling in for the injured Tyler Herro in the starting backcourt, Mitchell posted a 16/12/6 double-double.
But the biggest headline of the night came from the newly acquired Norman Powell, who put together an elite shooting performance in his Heat debut. The veteran guard totaled a team-high 28 points to go along with 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block and 1 steal on 50% shooting from deep and a +12 on the floor.
Norman Powell put up the second highest scoring debut in Miami Heat franchise history.
Powell’s 28-point explosion was good enough to trail only LeBron James’ 31 points (2010) for the highest scoring Heat debut of all-time.
Behind Powell in that ranking includes Willie Burton, Antoine Walker, Kendrick Nunn, Kevin Willis, Steve Smith, Travis Best, Jimmy Butler and Tim Hardaway, respectively. For those wondering, rookie Dwyane Wade put up 18 points in his own debut for Miami.
It was an impressive performance from Powell, who even displayed a versatile impact beyond just scoring the ball. His shooting output helped neutralize the entire Heat offense.
Similar to Herro, he provides a true three-level scoring ability for Spoelstra’s backcourt. His volume, gravity and efficiency all brought a significant boost to a Heat team that has needed a player of Powell’s caliber for years now.
Even more encouraging is that Miami still has yet to see the dynamic between him and Herro on the court. Powell can help take attention off of Herro, and both players can effectively play off each other when opposing defenses try to zero in on one or the other.
Although the Heat didn’t get the result they wanted in game one of the new season, Powell showcasing that he is exactly as advertised was the best takeaway to build on.
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Sorry, guys, there was a code error somewhere, and I was trying to find the source. But I got it, and we should be good to go now! Thanks for bringing it to our attention. We’re a very small team over here, but we’re attentive!
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