Although the Cleveland Cavaliers have less than ten games to go until the playoffs start, they’ve been missing Donovan Mitchell for quite a while. Mitchell has missed Cleveland’s last six games due to a bothersome sore knee, with the Cavs going 2-4 in that stretch. With Mitchell possibly returning to action against the Philadelphia 76ers at home, it’ll be a welcome addition for Cleveland. But, for some, it won’t just be just for Mitchell’s scoring prowess.
“Everybody knows Donovan could score. But if he comes back it’ll be his defense,” said Cavs big man Jarrett Allen. “I think he’s third in the league and steals or something like that per game, we’re definitely missing him on that.”
Cavs missing Donovan Mitchell’s mastery
To Jarrett Allen’s point, Donovan Mitchell’s defense has been criminally underrated this season. Sure, Mitchell has led Cleveland in scoring with an average of 27.4 points per game. But, when Mitchell is on the floor this season, the Cavs have had an average defensive rating of 106.3. That average is third-best on the team and, is better than Cleveland’s overall defensive rating of 110.8.
That means when Mitchell is on the floor, the Cavs have allowed 4.5 points per 100 possessions less than they have overall this year. But, outside of the scoring and defensive ability, Mitchell has become central to everything on offense for Cleveland. Again, it’s helpful when he can get the ball to go into the basket. But, what Mitchell has done moving the ball is equally impressive in Allen’s eyes.
“He’s definitely picked up his passing,” said Allen. “I said at the start of this year, we’ve definitely seen an uptick in him being able to share the ball and create more ball movement. I mean, for us, any ball movement is great ball movement.”
Again, to Allen’s credit, it cannot be overlooked how Mitchell is moving the ball. Mitchell has averaged a career-best 6.1 assists per game all season long, constantly giving the Cavs life on offense. If Mitchell returned to action for Cleveland against Philadelphia, it would help re-spark an offense that has felt lifeless without him on the floor – regardless of if he’s scoring or passing the ball.
Mitchell will likely be on a minute restriction when he returns to play. But, when he does, his presence alone will give the Cavs a shot in the arm and pick them up through a frustrating portion of their regular season.
“It’s just him as a person, who’s good to have around,” said Allen. “He’s always positive in the locker room and he’s always trying to lift people up. He just has that certain energy about him that when he’s back, everybody just feels better.”
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