In January and February, the Cleveland Cavaliers were hot, and it was starting to look like perhaps they had become a dark-horse championship contender.
But they have regressed ever since, and a big reason why is that Donovan Mitchell, their best player, has been in and out of the lineup due to a knee problem.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN said that Mitchell has “lost his explosion” because of his knee problem, but that when he’s healthy, Cleveland can beat anyone, including the first-place Boston Celtics, via NBA on ESPN.
“The most important thing for the Cavs, and arguably one of the most important things for the whole Eastern Conference.” @windhorstESPN on Cleveland’s concern about Donovan Mitchell’s health. pic.twitter.com/9i6usAApt8
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 3, 2024
Mitchell is putting up some outstanding numbers on the season — 26.8 points, 6.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game — but he has missed 16 games since the All-Star break.
As Windhorst pointed out, he hasn’t been attacking the paint as much as usual lately, and as a result, his efficiency is well below where it was prior to the All-Star break.
The Cavs currently have a 46-30 record, which puts them in third place in the Eastern Conference, and they’re 1.5 games behind the second-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, a team that has also been struggling over the last few weeks.
Mitchell is usually one of the NBA’s most explosive players, and he has a history of raising his game during the playoffs — his playoff scoring average is a full three points higher than his regular-season scoring average for his career.
Then there is the matter of Mitchell’s future with Cleveland, which is reportedly in question.
He can become a free agent next summer, and rumor has it that the Westchester County native could want to become a member of the New York Knicks.
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