They started their season with a 15-game unbeaten run and were looking like the early favorites to win the NBA title. But the Cleveland Cavaliers began showing signs of faltering as the regular season progressed, and although they still finished 1st in the Eastern Conference Standings with a 64-18 record and swept the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, they were embarrassed by the Indiana Pacers in the semi-finals, bringing their post-season to a close. This left Hall of Famer Dwayne Wade rather disappointed.
Wade, like many, expected more from the Cavs, led by star guard Donovan Mitchell. And in terms of overall performance, there wasn’t much to complain about. As Wade recalled on his podcast, Cleveland had the Defensive Player of the Year in Evan Mobley and the Coach of the Year in Kenny Atkinson in their ranks.
About Mitchell, the former Heat star said, “Don had a very mature year, really took his game to the next level, so it’s unfortunate that it happened.” That said, Wade did have something to complain about.
He acknowledged that Cleveland has a young core with a bright future ahead. But he still feels that they should have done more in this run. “That was disappointing, and it wasn’t about the injuries for me, it was about getting into the fight, the competition.”
Barring the only game that the Cavaliers won (Game 3 away at Indiana), Wade did not see the team sport the right mentality needed to succeed as a team in the NBA. Being a three-time champ with the Heat, if anyone knows what it takes to win, it’s Wade.
“The one game where Donovan came out, in game three, where he had 43? Donovan got into the fight that night. And his team got into the fight with him. After that, I didn’t really see the fight in the Cavs…” he added.
According to Wade, for Spida to finally win a ring in the NBA, he has to do more. He praised the Pacers for bringing the underdog mentality to the series against the conference’s best team, and singled out Tyrese Haliburton in particular, a player who had been voted as the league’s most overrated by colleagues in an Athletic poll.
The Pacers never looked worried—their body language exuded confidence, helping them dispatch the once-formidable Cavs in just five games.
Wade then pointed out that, despite being one of the NBA’s biggest names, Mitchell has never made it past the second round. Is it bad luck? Or is it simply not his time? That’s the question the 43-year-old pondered.
Delon Wright, speaking on the same podcast, emphasized that Mitchell needs to step up as a leader. “I think his leadership got to go to another level… You gotta get these guys all on the same page and believe in each other as a group and as a unit to get over that hump…”
Wade concluded by stating that Mitchell will be judged in the coming seasons—and for the rest of his career—by what he does in the playoffs. It’s now about building his legacy and taking that next step toward climbing the ladder of all-time greats.
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