Donovan

Mitchell

This isn’t a surprising update, considering Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported the likelihood of this extension in mid-June. According to Woj, “A significant part of Mitchell’s belief in committing on a new deal comes with his confidence in Koby Altman’s vision to keep building the Cavs into a championship contender and an alignment on their partnership together.” Mitchell and Co. have had back-to-back playoff disappointments, most recently due to several key injuries. A healthy Cleveland team should be a perennial playoff team, but how far the team can go is in question based on recent moves from New York and Philadelphia to bolster their respective rosters.

Mitchell can sign an extension this summer, and Cleveland must get something done. Given how much the franchise gave up in acquiring him from the Jazz in 2022, the last thing the Cavaliers need is to have Mitchell going into the final season of his contract without a deal. According to Fischer, the feeling across the league is that the two sides will get something done, locking in Mitchell as a cornerstone for a team that hopes to contend in the East.

The status update is unsurprising, given that it was reported on Wednesday afternoon that Mitchell was expected to miss a second consecutive game. With Caris LeVert also out, Dean Wade moves into the starting lineup, and Isaac Okoro shifts from the four to the three.

Mitchell missed Game 4, and now he is on track to miss Game 5. Recent rumors suggest that multiple teams will be interested in trading for Mitchell this summer, so unless the short-handed Cavs are able to pull off an upset in Boston on Wednesday, there is a chance that Mitchell has played his final game for Cleveland. Caris LeVert should remain in the starting unit in his place on Wednesday.

Trailing the Celtics by three games to one, getting their best player back would help the Cavaliers immensely. Mitchell did not play in Monday’s Game 4 defeat, with Caris LeVert replacing him in the starting lineup. However, with LeVert (knee) also questionable, the Cavaliers could be without two of its top scorers for Game 5. Max Strus and Sam Merrill also became more important contributors with Mitchell sidelined on Monday.

Mitchell’s calf started bothering him in Game 3, and now Cleveland will have to play Game 4 without their star player. This is a massive loss for the Cavs, who will have to try to defend homecourt without Spida, who is averaging 31.7 points per game in this series. Caris LeVert should start in his place, but everyone will have to step up for them to have a chance.

Mitchell played 43 minutes in Saturday’s Game 3 loss and injured his calf in the process. His injury is especially concerning for a team that was already down one starter (Jarrett Allen). If Mitchell cannot play on Monday, Caris LeVert is the player who will have to step up. Also, the Cavaliers will need more production from Darius Garland.

Mitchell was Cleveland’s go-to option, and he led the team in scoring once again. Spida was an efficient 12-of-22 from the floor, including a blistering 7-of-12 from beyond the arc. It was an outstanding individual effort, but the rest of the team did next to nothing to help the superstar out. Isaac Okoro, Darius Garland and Max Strus combined for just 23 points on 9-of-30 shooting. Mitchell averaged nearly 29 points per game in his first-round series with Orlando, and he’s averaged 31.7 points through his first three games of the Eastern Conference semis. There’s no doubt Mitchell will show up to play for Monday’s Game 4, but his teammates will need to get going if the Cavs hope to even up the series with Boston.

Cleveland earned a split of Games 1 and 2, with a common theme for both games being Boston’s inability to slow down Mitchell. After dropping in 33 points in Game 1, Spida scored 29 in Game 2 before both coaches decided to clear their benches with a little over four minutes remaining. Also, Mitchell was more efficient as a scorer and playmaker on Thursday, with the eight assists countered by just one turnover. Mitchell will get his in this series; Cleveland’s chances of winning depend on the “others” stepping up. They did in Game 2 and will need to do the same in Game 3 on Saturday.

This was Mitchell’s third straight game with at least 30 points, but it didn’t end up mattering in the end. Mitchell did most of his scoring in the first quarter (14) and third quarter (16), but he didn’t add much in the second and fourth quarter, which lined up with Cleveland’s offensive struggles. Mitchell was able to provide plenty of offense, but he’ll need help if the Cavaliers want to pull off the upset in this series. If things continue to go this poorly, trade rumors will heat up quickly after their season ends.