The thing that is often forgotten about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 64-win season from last year is the fact that Donovan Mitchell took a step back to let his co-stars in Darius Garland and Evan Mobley take a step forward.
The idea behind it was to make sure Mitchell was fresher for the playoffs and to make the team less reliant on him and his dynamic scoring ability. It worked for the regular season, but it broke down because of Cleveland’s injuries and Mitchell battling lower leg issues.
This season though, Mitchell has not had the luxury of taking a step back. Garland has been in and out of the lineup because of offseason toe surgery, and Mobley has taken a little longer to get acclimated to a bigger offensive role. This has caused Mitchell to take on a heavy burden through the Cavs’ first 33 games.
Cavaliers cannot be overly-reliant on Donovan Mitchell
Mitchell is having the best season of his career statistically.
He is averaging a career-high in points (29.5), and field-goal percentage (49.2). He also leads the NBA in 3-pointers made and leads the league in second-half scoring.
However, the Cavs have struggled this season when he has an off-night. Losses to the Charlotte Hornets, Boston Celtics, and the Houston Rockets come to mind. Even Cleveland's late-game offense dissolves into asking Mitchell to bail them out, which is what doomed them in their Christmas Day loss to the New York Knicks.
Against the San Antonio Spurs though, the Cavs showed that they do not need Mitchell going nuclear in the scoring column for them to notch victories. Cleveland won that game on the back of their defense.
Evan Mobley showed off his Defensive Player of the Year chops against Victor Wembanyama. Plus, the Cavs’ reserves were huge on both ends of the floor to notch the victory.
Even in that game, Mitchell came up big in the fourth quarter. He was playmaking at a high-level and had five points in the period. He was still impacting the game, showing why he is the superstar he is.
That big win was more reminiscent of how Cleveland won games last year. Their supporting cast is what elevates the team to contending status, not the gaudy numbers of Mitchell. It is great that he can produce at an elite level, but being dependent on him has come back to bite the Cavs in the past.
Cleveland getting back to their winning formula will be beneficial for them in the long run. If they want to compete, they need to ease the burden of Mitchell, so that he can be full-throttle when the games really count in the spring.