Donovan Mitchell Is Carrying the Cavs-Again. But How Far Can He Take Them?
CLEVELAND - Donovan Mitchell leaned back in his locker, flashed a grin, and offered a knowing look that said it all. He’s been here before. Not just in this locker room, but in this role - the one where everything hinges on him.
Nine seasons into his NBA journey, Mitchell has seen just about everything the league can throw at a star guard. He’s been the focal point of defenses, the face of a franchise, the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade, and even a headline during the league’s pandemic shutdown. But there’s one thing he hasn’t seen yet: a championship.
That’s what this season in Cleveland was supposed to be about. Instead, it’s been a grind - and Mitchell, playing the best basketball of his career, is doing everything he can to keep the Cavs afloat.
Let’s be clear: Mitchell isn’t just playing well - he’s on a tear. He’s one of only four players averaging 30 points per game this season, and he’s doing it with efficiency and poise.
His usage rate is the highest it’s been since he arrived in Cleveland, and he’s drilling threes at a career-best clip - nearly 40% in December. He’s been the glue holding a battered roster together, night after night, while injuries have forced the Cavs to dig deep into their bench.
That’s how guys like Nae’Qwan Tomlin end up logging meaningful minutes in December.
This is a team with three max contracts on the books and a fourth player, Jarrett Allen, earning $20 million this year with $90 million more coming over the next three seasons. And yet, it’s Mitchell who’s shouldering the load.
He says he’s fine with it. He loves the game.
Loves the locker room. Loves coming to work.
But even the most durable stars have their limits.
The Cavs’ 141-118 win over the Pelicans on Tuesday was another showcase for Mitchell - he dropped 27 points and set the tone from the jump. But the real test comes Thursday, when they face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day. That’s the kind of game where the Cavs will need more than just Mitchell’s brilliance.
And head coach Kenny Atkinson knows it.
“I don’t want him to,” Atkinson said when asked if Mitchell can keep carrying this much of the load. “I don’t think that’s sustainable long-term.
Conference Finals, Finals - we need more balance. And I do think we can get it as we get healthier … as Darius (Garland) starts to get his rhythm and we get guys back.
But right now, it’s on him. He’s got to carry us.”
That’s been the story of Mitchell’s time in Cleveland - and, frankly, much of his career. Too often, the offense stagnates, and it’s Mitchell who has to bail the team out.
There was a moment last season when that began to shift - when the Cavs looked like a more balanced, dangerous team. But injuries have dragged them back into old habits.
Last season, Cleveland won 64 games and looked like a team on the rise. But a second-round exit in the playoffs left a sour taste.
They were dominant in the regular season, blowing out teams by 25 points or more with ease. But those same teams remember.
And now, with the Cavs limping through the early months of this season, there’s a target on their back.
There was hope that Evan Mobley would take the reins this year. After a breakout campaign last season, the Cavs tried to make him the focal point of the offense.
But it didn’t stick. Mobley looked out of rhythm and uncomfortable in the role of primary initiator.
That’s not to say he isn’t a star - he is. But right now, he’s not the engine of a championship team.
So here we are, approaching the New Year, and the Cavs are back to what they know: Mitchell in command, everyone else falling in line.
There’s not much choice in the matter. The way this roster is constructed - with the team operating in the second apron of the salary cap - limits their flexibility.
Garland’s trade value is murky, given his injury history and contract. Allen, for all his talent, has been relegated to a smaller role in crunch time when the roster is healthy.
It’s unclear what kind of return he’d fetch on the trade market.
A healthy roster would help, no doubt. But at some point, the injuries stop being bad luck and start becoming part of the team’s identity.
They were banged up in the playoffs two years ago. They were banged up again last spring.
Max Strus missed time at the start of last season and is sidelined again now. Garland is once again battling a nagging toe issue - he did manage to play in a back-to-back for the first time this season, but no one’s sure when he’ll be fully right.
Mobley’s dealing with a calf strain - the same type of injury that once sidelined Mitchell himself. It’s been one thing after another.
So Mitchell keeps pushing. The Cavs keep grinding.
And hope - slim as it may feel some nights - is still alive. Just last season, the Pacers were under .500 in January and caught fire down the stretch.
The Cavs are clinging to the belief that they can do the same.
Mitchell turns 30 next year, and that will be the final season of his current contract. The Cavs will have to make some tough decisions about their roster and their financial future. This could be their last real shot at making a run with this core.
Until then, Mitchell will keep pulling the sled uphill - just like he has eight times before. The question now is whether this time, finally, he can get it to the top.