The best player on the Cleveland Cavaliers is Donovan Mitchell.
The worst player for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night was Donovan Mitchell.
That's a harsh statement, but Mitchell was bad once again in Game 5, a hard-fought Cavaliers win that required Dennis Schroder finding new life and Sam Merrill dominating off the bench to save Mitchell's bacon. If the Toronto Raptors had come back to win that game, taking a 3-2 series lead before heading back to Toronto for Game 6, Mitchell would be the scapegoat.
Donovan Mitchell is struggling
His volume of shots within the offense ensures that his stat line never looks too awful, but it certainly wasn't good. Mitchell shot 7-for-17 from the floor with five rebounds, three assists and two turnovers. In a 5-point win, he was -9 on the night.
That is continuing a trend for Mitchell. He was resplendent in the first two games of the series, shooting over 50 percent from the field and scoring 30+ each time. But in the last three games, he has lost it -- and he needs to find it soon.
In Game 3, a blowout Toronto victory, Mitchell shot just 43.8 percent. In Game 4, a close Raptors win, he was down at 25 percent, scoring 20 points but on a whopping 24 shots. In the three games combined, he has had 9 assists and 9 turnovers.
Mitchell wasn't technically the worst player on the court in Game 5, but because of the volume of turnovers and the sheer number of shots that he takes, his impact is much greater than a role player. When you factor in that he is missing those shots and not making up for it on defense or in the floor game, you get the player having the worst impact on the team.
Cleveland needs Mitchell at his best
The Cavaliers have to hope that Mitchell can pull out of it. James Harden had a fine Game 5, but he is just waiting to fully turn into a playoff pumpkin -- and his turnover numbers are off the charts. Jarrett Allen is playing hard but can't seem to get the ball. Evan Mobley has been up and down.
Cleveland can win this series with Mitchell as an inefficient chucker, but they need him back at his high-scoring self to have a chance in the second round. The path is not going to be easier; the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic are both physical teams who will make life difficult for Mitchell.
He will need to find a way to push through. In Game 5, the rest of the team carried him. Sam Merrill was huge. Dean Wade was a lockdown defender. Dennis Schroder broke out in the fourth quarter while Mitchell was standing around, unable to get a clean shot off.
In Game 6, or Game 7, or the next round, the real Donovan Mitchell needs to show up. If he doesn't, the Cavaliers will be going home once again. And for all that everyone loves to blame Allen or Mobley or Kenny Atkinson, and for all that everyone will be quick to blame Harden, this time it will be Mitchell's fault.
His time in Cleveland and his career will be marked by his playoff failures or successes. Right now, he is pushing the team toward another failure. It's up to him to right the ship.
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