The NBA world rightfully spent a lot of time yesterday talking about Donovan Mitchell’s incredible 71-point game. The fact that he not only scored 71 but had 11 assists (thus “creating” 99 points, the second-most all-time) was simply astounding. There are plenty of great stories and discussions to consume about the historic night, but two in particular stood out.
The first was a video breakdown by Thinking Basketball’s Ben Taylor that showed how Mitchell continued to attack the Chicago Bulls’ defense, showing how his athleticism and speed overwhelmed the Bulls and how Mitchell learned from each new defensive coverage and continued to adjust, including hitting teammates for wide-open shots.
Taylor also mentioned his favorite play of the game, which was mine as well, when Mitchell took advantage of a tired Bulls defense and turned on the turbo-chargers, sprinting down the court in transition to score a fastbreak layup. How did Mitchell possibly have enough energy after playing the entire second half and overtime?
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst dug into that question in his excellent piece connecting Mitchell’s rigorous training regimen from this offseason to his stamina this season. It has been apparent from Game 1 this season that Mitchell is playing at another level, and his ability to play at his best late in games and stay locked in on defense is clearly a result of his conditioning. Be sure to watch Taylor’s video and read Windhorst’s piece.
More Cavs news
Yesterday the news came out that Zion Williamson is expected to miss a few weeks with an injured hamstring. That almost certainly means that when the Cavs return from their road trip to host the New Orleans Pelicans on January 16th they will not have to face Williamson. That’s a bummer for Cleveland fans, as Zion is a joy to watch, but certainly a boost to the Cavs’ chances of winning.
It continues a trend for the Cavs as they look at this upcoming stretch of games, when they will play nine-straight games against the Western Conference. Devin Booker will miss both of the Cavs’ games against the Phoenix Suns, starting tonight, and Karl-Anthony Towns will likely be out when the Cavs go to Minnesota on the 14th. It’s also very possible that Stephen Curry will still be out when the Warriors come to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on January 20th. The Cavs have struggled with injuries, but so is everyone else.
As the trade market continues to pick up the pace, the Cavs are on the lookout for a wing upgrade. Could a pitched trade for an Atlanta Hawks guard be the right deal? We looked at a potential trade construction and evaluated whether it would help the Cavaliers enough to make it worth the swing.
NBA news
In the latest superstar performance last night, Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 55 points to set a new career-high and lead the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks to a victory over the Washington Wizards. In other East-contender news, the Boston Celtics continue to struggle recently, losing 150-117 to an Oklahoma City Thunder team playing without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Out West, De’Aaron Fox hit a game-winning layup to give the Sacramento Kings a win over the Utah Jazz.
Coming up: The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Phoenix Suns tonight as Mitchell goes for 72.