2 most important Cleveland Cavaliers for success against lost Detroit Pistons

The Cavaliers need Donovan Mitchell to force the issue on offense

Against the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland superstar guard Donovan Mitchell only attempted three shots within the paint. Overall, he shot a dismal 5-13 in the double-overtime loss. Mitchell looked exhausted early on, and he had every right to have an off night. Against Detroit, the Cavaliers need a dominant and physical Donovan Mitchell.

While Strus' shot saved the day against the Mavs the night before, Mitchell also gave the Cavs a myriad of help in the late comeback. Playing again the next night had both Strus and Mitchell looking tired and shooting inefficient all game.

As the Cavaliers visit the Pistons, Mitchell's availability is up in the air once again. Since the break, Mitchell has been inconsistently available for the Cavs with illness and now knee soreness. Cavs insider Chris Fedor of cleveland.com has relayed Mitchell's adamant efforts to stay on the court, but injury luck has hardly swung in Cleveland's favor all season. If Mitchell is out of the lineup once more, the Cavaliers will enter their next slate of games without any real rhythm.

While reintegrating Mobley and Garland has gone fairly well, the Cavs are still without any true identity when their best five players share the court together. Garland's three-point shooting is finally taking shape, and Mobley's performance on the short roll is getting much better, especially when he finds an open lane to cut to the basket. If Mitchell can take the court, the Cavaliers will have one more chance to iron out the flaws in their game plan before it's harshly tested.

In his second year with the Cavs, Donovan Mitchell is putting together a dazzling MVP case, and teams are clearly more confident facing Cleveland when their best player is absent. The Cavaliers need Mitchell for their final games.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will take the court at Little Caesars Arena to visit the Detroit Pistons at 7:00 pm Eastern Time. The game will be broadcast on local Bally Sports channels for TV and NBA League Pass online.