4 Cleveland Cavaliers who need to bounce back next season

No. 1: Donovan Mitchell

Cleveland’s latest All-NBA player Donovan Mitchell has been in the postseason every season of his career thus far. In those series, he has scored 40 or more points four times. Against the Knicks, though, Mitchell only averaged 23.2 points in the first round loss, as opposed to his 27.8 points per game average for his career in the NBA Playoffs.

Secondly, Mitchell averaged nearly four turnovers per game against the Knicks in those five fateful games. Mitchell took accountability for his poor decision-making, but his collapse still led to an embarrassing end for his first season in Cleveland.

Donovan Mitchell is nothing less than capable of putting a team on his back for an entire series, but he has yet to reach the Conference Finals. He knows the pain of losing in the playoffs, and he will need to use this as inspiration to develop his game even further than where he is now through tireless dedication this offseason.

As the young talent in Cleveland continues to grow, then Donovan Mitchell will finally have a true contending roster next to him. Evan Mobley was already named to NBA All-Defensive First Team in his second season, a feat that cannot be taken lightly. As Mobley develops alongside Garland, Donovan Mitchell will be in the greatest position to win a title that he might ever find for himself for his entire career.

If the Cavaliers front office is aggressive this offseason, they will be able to speed this process forward and give Mitchell a true contending team. But, that contending team will need a leader. That leader needs to be Mitchell both on and off the court.

In that scenario, Donovan Mitchell will have no excuse to fail again. With more threats on the court, Mitchell will have more room to operate, either finding an open jump shot or driving lane.

Donovan Mitchell’s leadership will be tested, but he is probably ready for the task. In his first year with the Cavaliers, he set a new single-game scoring record with 71 points against the Chicago Bulls. The dynamic guard has what it takes if he has the right roster.

In the end, this season was a test for the Cavaliers at their present state. Their flaws were exposed, but the front office is showing a willingness to make crucial choices and bring more talent to the squad. These Cavaliers will be able to bounce back with new players to help, but their personal accountability will be the crux of their growth.

As a young team with high aspirations, their limit is decided by themselves and their reactions to failure. Will the Cavs be ready to Let ‘Em Know next year?