Donovan Mitchell to the Cavs is a power move with the potential of bringing another championship to Cleveland. The Cleveland Cavaliers have failed to make the postseason since losing LeBron James in the 2018 offseason. LeBron willed that Cavs team to the finals that year despite losing Kyrie, but it became clear they didn’t have enough to compete legitimately. So once James left, the rebuild officially began.
Rebuilding
In the next three seasons, Cleveland didn’t reach higher than the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference and failed to win more than 22 games! However, during that time, the Cavs were able to add young pieces that significantly contributed to their success this past season. In 2022, the Cavs had their first winning season since 2018 and were a playoff seed for most of the year. Cleveland had 2 Allstars in Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen. They also had a ROTY finalist in Evan Mobley.
Darius Garland
Despite losing two play-in games to miss the playoffs ultimately, there were reasons for optimism amongst Cavs fans. Darius Garland’s improvements last season placed him in the MIP conversation. He averaged 22 PPG with nearly 9 APG. For most of the season, Garland carried the Cavaliers’ offense as their primary scorer and playmaker. He is also an excellent 3PT shooter at 38% on seven attempts per game, many far behind the line.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley
Jarrett Allen was the epitome of being a star in his role. Allen averaged 16 PPG and 11 RPG affecting the game as a screen setter, lob threat, and rim protector. He, along with Evan Mobley, was the anchor of the Cavs’ defense, a unit that ranked top 5 in the league. Evan Mobley is just beginning to scratch the surface of tapping into his potential. He’s a seven-footer who can handle the ball in space, shoot jumpers, and has DPOY upside with elite rim protection and versatility. Mobley would’ve been my pick for ROTY, but the Cavs have much bigger expectations for him, including being an All-NBA and All-Defensive player.
Major Upgrade
When acquiring Donovan Mitchell, the only player who played consistently for the 2022 Cavs that they gave up was Lauri Markkanen. Colin Sexton, although very talented, barely played this past season due to injury. With Mitchell, Cleveland will get everything Sexton brings to the table at a higher level. The Cavs also gave up three 1st round picks and two pick swaps which are very valuable to a rebuilding team but don’t take away from their current core.
Mitchell’s playoff brilliance
Donovan Mitchell is one of the best playoff scorers and shot creators in the NBA. Mitchell ranks 4th among active players in playoff PPG, trailing LeBron, KD, and Luka Doncic (via StatMuse). Mitchell has two playoff series averaging over 30 PPG; 36 PPG vs. Denver in 2020 on 53-52-95 splits, and 35 PPG vs. the Clippers on 44.5-45-78 splits (via basketball reference). Mitchell has also improved as a playmaker, becoming complete as an overall offensive weapon.
Elite backcourt
Similarly to Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell was tasked with carrying his team’s offense, especially in the playoffs. What is so exciting about their paring is now they can rely on each other for consistent support. Garland is a playmaker by nature, while Mitchell can focus more on getting buckets. We saw what having an elite floor general in Cp3 did for Devin Booker, and I envision a similar dynamic in Cleveland.
Defensive support
Despite their offensive brilliance, the biggest worry about this backcourt is their defensive limitations. Neither are outstanding defenders, and both being just 6’1, they are one of the smallest backcourts in the league. Many have compared their dynamic from that perspective to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum whose Blazers were usually elite offensively but very bad defensively. However, Cleveland has the defensive pieces to surround their star backcourt. They have elite rim protection and switchability on the perimeter with Mobley and Okoro that can mask some of those limitations. Portland had been searching for those pieces, but Cleveland had them prior to the Mitchell trade.
Plenty of time
Cleveland should instantly be a playoff team and among the top 5 or 6 teams in their conference. However, this Cavs team has a much larger window. All five Cavs’ starters are 26 or younger, with Mitchell turning 26 just a couple of days ago! Cleveland has Mitchell under contract for three more seasons. He has a player option for the 2025-2026 season and becomes an unrestricted free agent in the 2026 off-season.
All the ingredients
Donovan Mitchell can be the best player on a championship team if Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are also All-Star/All-NBA caliber. Adding Jarrett Allen to that mix, not only does Cleveland potentially have 4 All-Star caliber players, but they also have guys whose playstyles complement each other. The ingredients for championship-level success are there; now it’s time for the Cavaliers to put it all together.
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