The Miami Heat returned to the floor in Orlando on Wednesday night to kick off the 2025-2026 NBA season. The expected starters took the floor of Davion Mitchell, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic, and Bam Adebayo.
After being questionable prior to the game, Kel’el Ware was upgraded to available for game one. That led to a stronger front-court against this bigger Orlando team (but ultimately not big enough down the stretch which will be discussed shortly).
So here are three takeaways from this opening day matchup:
Oct 22, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) shoots the ball against the Orlando Magic in the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Norman Powell wasted no time getting a play drawn up for him in a Heat jersey. On the very first offensive possession, Bam Adebayo set a pin-down for him into a clean catch and shoot three, followed by getting fouled on a corner three attempt on the very next possession. Ball touches his hands with any space, and he’s letting it fly, which they absolutely need. Early in this game, the Heat were leaning heavily into the fast paced style, as Powell, Mitchell, and Jovic were running up and down the floor. But even bigger than transition scoring, they were playing earlier in the clock which is ultimately the goal. Drive and kick game was being leaned into big time. But as we saw in the second quarter, it can tail off with fatigue or certain lineup combinations. Finding the answer for non-Powell lineups without Tyler Herro will be crucial.
Oct 22, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) controls the ball against the Orlando Magic in the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Davion Mitchell storyline has been an interesting one this off-season. A guy plays extremely well on both sides of the floor as a 45% three point shooter, and there’s still a feeling some of that can drop-off due to that excellent number. But there were no signs of that in this season opener. He was pressuring Desmond Bane all over the floor to start this game, and doing most of the initiating when it comes to both the half-court and transition offense. Believe it or not, a lot of the early three point shooting flourishes were coming from Mitchell getting two feet in the paint and making kick-outs for open threes. He demands attention under the basket due to his bigger frame, and he’s a willing passer who knows how to make those reads. The main takeaway is this: the high level Mitchell we saw into those play-in games last season, should possibly be expected again.
Oct 22, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) and Miami Heat forward Simone Fontecchio (0) fight for a loose ball in the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
That first quarter that was discussed just wasn’t your typical Heat-Magic matchup. High scoring and smooth offense just isn’t the usual case when they face off. But as the game progressed, we got those flashes of the past. Make no mistake about it, the Heat were absolutely getting after it on defense even through the scoring stretches. Whether it was forcing turnovers in the lane, Mitchell getting through screens, or Dru Smith getting a charge: the Heat didn’t get complacent even though shots were dropping, which is important. Bam Adebayo did a great job of containing the physical Paolo Banchero for pockets, and just limited success in the lane overall. But in Magic-Heat style, the back and forth began in clutch time, as Miami struggled to match the size of the Magic down the stretch. With Jovic’s struggles, Heat were closing with Jaime Jaquez Jr at the four, leading to second chance opportunities. That’s the key word, because if Heat continue not to trust Kel’el Ware down the stretch, they will lose on plenty of offensive rebounds just like Wendell Carter Jr’s with six seconds left tonight.