Donovan Mitchell missed the last four games of the Cleveland Cavaliers season. The All-Star guard is dealing with an ankle injury. According to head coach Kenny Atkinson, Mitchell should be ready to go by the time the playoffs start.
“I think he’ll be full on with practice. We’re going to have to scrimmage at some point, probably intersquad with refs, so he’ll participate in that,” Atkinson said during a pre-game news conference on April 13. “The most important thing is how we build him up with the ankle rehab and then conditioning.”
Mitchell’s injury occurred during the team’s 120-113 loss to the Sacramento Kings. Still, the Cavaliers have found ways to continue winning games in Mitchell’s absence. Nevertheless, the fact that he should be ready to go by the time the playoffs begin is good news for the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers are a better team when Mitchell is on the court. His scoring, playmaking, and ability to come up big in the clutch all elevate his team’s chances of success. Mitchell has enjoyed a strong regular season with Cleveland. In 71 outings, he averaged 24 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He shot 44.3% from the field and 36.8% from 3-point range.
Cavaliers Compared to Early Dynasty Warriors
During a recent episode of the “Wine and Gold” podcast, Chris Fedor made the bold claim of likening this version of the Cavaliers to the early dynasty Golden State Warriors.
“It feels like the start of the Warriors dynasty… To have all those guys locked up together and on the same timeline for contention, with the exception of Ty Jerome, that’s a really, really good place to be,” Fedor said. “It feels like a group that is set up for sustainable success, especially because, look, everybody has an ego. This is the NBA. These are big money players. There are a lot of things that come into play. But the ego, the disease of me, it doesn’t feel like is going to get in the way.”
Mitchell is likely the Stephen Curry of this comparison. However, until this version of Cleveland’s roster secures a championship, any comparison with one of the most dominant dynasties in NBA history is far too premature. After all, the Cavaliers don’t have an easy path to a championship, not with the Boston Celtics likely waiting for them in the Eastern Conference finals.
Cavaliers Must Show Self-Belief
During a recent interview with Fedor for Cleveland.com, Atkinson called on his team to show some self-belief in their quest for a championship.
“As far as talent, chemistry, deep bench, we have it all. It’s really going to be the mental battle,” Atkinson told Fedor. “The question that needs to be answered with this team is if they have a belief level that’s at a championship level…Do you really believe you can be a conference finalist? That’s the first step. Only going to answer that when we are faced with it. That’s probably the lingering question.”
After such a strong regular season, and with Mitchell expected back in the rotation, the Cavaliers have every reason to believe in themselves. However, that mentality is one that is forged by overcoming adversity.
Therefore, seeing how the Cavaliers perform with their back against the wall will be interesting. After all, some tough moments are inevitable during a deep playoff run.
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