In the 2022-23 season, Mitchell averaged 27.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, and shot 47.7% from the field and 37.9% from the three-point field. The overall offensive firepower in the playoffs will be upgraded as usual. At present, Mitchell’s cumulative score in the fourth quarter of this season has reached the top 10 in the league. When Mitchell joined last season, many experts and media worried that it would weaken the Cavaliers’ defense. First…
Some experts in the media believe that even if the Cavaliers reach the playoffs, they will not be able to go too far, but this young powerhouse does not think so. They think they should be taken more seriously.
And whether the Cavaliers have the hard power to become a power? The Cavaliers currently rank among the top four in the Eastern Conference. And the defensive efficiency and points per game rank first in the league. Offensively, the Cavaliers already had two All-Star players from last season, and this season they have added an All-Star guard with full offensive firepower, as well as a top talent that is getting closer and closer to the template Anthony Davis.
The Cavaliers have more wins than the Grizzlies, Warriors, and the Los Angeles duo. Most people believe that the reason why the Cavaliers cannot go deep into the playoffs is simple: too young, inexperienced, and unproven in pressure resistance. At present, the Cavaliers have a total of 317 playoff games experience, but 165 of them are Danny Green and Donovan Mitchell has 39 games, but its young main players Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro have no playoff experience yet.
“The playoffs must be experienced personally, and it is difficult to describe in words alone.” Mitchell said, “It is a completely different field from the regular season. However, Mitchell himself had a very good performance in the playoffs for the first time. , averaging 24.4 points, 4.2 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game, and led the team to the second round, and led the team to the playoffs every year of his career.
In the 2022-23 season, Mitchell averaged 27.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, and shot 47.7% from the field and 37.9% from the three-point field. The overall offensive firepower in the playoffs will be upgraded as usual. At present, Mitchell’s cumulative score in the fourth quarter of this season has reached the top 10 in the league. When Mitchell joined last season, many experts and media worried that it would weaken the Cavaliers’ defense. First.
“We have some top defensive players on the roster, and I think Donovan is one of them,” Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff said. Before this season, Mitchell didn’t have a defense above the standard. He himself knew that this was his flaw. When he watched the video of his first-round match against the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs last season, he also reflected on his lazy defense, or The footsteps were noticeably slower on the perimeter. When he was traded to the Cavaliers, Mitchell also took to social media to see the comments of sour people as motivation.
“You can stay away from your phone, but you can’t avoid doubts and bad words,” Mitchell said. His goal is not to improve the defense and get back the skills of the past. “In college, I was known for defense, not offense. The reason why the draft is favored is also defense.”
However, after arriving in the Jazz, Mitchell turned to become an offensive guard, but he also forgot how to defend. Mitchell believes that the reason lies with himself, “I think the repeated losses in the playoffs are also the reason. I am discouraged. This is the reason. The hardest part.”
“Winning is like taking it for granted, but losing is very frustrating. We are young and talented, but we have not achieved the goals we took for granted.” Mitchell said, “But because of this, I know more about who I can be. player.”
In the summer of 2022, Garland knew the Cavaliers needed another shooting guard, and he and Mitchell were training together in Miami. “I thought, how crazy would it be if we had a shooting guard like him,” Garland recalled. Unexpectedly, a few days later, the original fantasy really came true.
“Our partnership isn’t about taking turns,” Garland said. “We’re trying to get the ball flowing as much as possible, and then find the best shot options. We can cooperate with each other, read the defense and crack it.”
Bickerstaff knew how good Mitchell was when he was an opponent in the past, but he just didn’t expect it to be this strong.
“When you look at Mitchell in the past, you think he’s just a scorer,” Bickerstaff said. He’s not a No. 1 or No. 2, but a top-notch offensive engine.” Bickerstaff believes Mitchell’s strength lies in his ability to catch the opponent’s slack and make him pay.
After coming to Cleveland, Mitchell saw that the young players in the lounge were full of talents. In addition to Garland, Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Dean Wade, Okoro, Caris LeVert and Cedi Osman all had their own specialties, ” I believe these guys are ready.”
But is it really ready? Judging from historical data, a team like the Cavaliers will have a learning curve. Like the Thunder in 2010 and the Bucks in 2017, the first playoffs will not be too smooth. At present, the general consensus is that the Cavaliers have a chance to make it past the first round of the playoffs, but encountering the Bucks, Celtics or 76ers in the second round may be their upper limit.
