Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell. Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Cavaliers star shoulders blame for team's slow start

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Nov 14, 2023 4:23 PM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 4-7 to start the season and are struggling to string wins together. Donovan Mitchell wants his team to look in the mirror. He believes everybody on the roster can improve, including himself.

Mitchell shared his opinion on the Cavaliers' struggles during a recent interview with Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

“We can’t say we want to be the team we want to be and come out and pick our nights. That’s 1-15,” Mitchell said. “I’m not playing well on this trip. I hold myself to a high standard. I can be better. Put us in a better position if I start making shots and playing better as a whole. I put that on me. I will be better. As a leader, I will continue to push. It’s going to click. I’m not worried."

Mitchell is one of the best scorers in the NBA, but he isn't the only star to start the season slowly. Multiple top talents around the NBA have struggled out of the gate.

The Cavs have also been dealing with injuries to multiple members of their rotation. Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro, Darius Garland, Mitchell and Jarrett Allen have all missed time on the court. That lack of continuity has played a role in Cleveland's slow start.

Still, Mitchell is seen as the leader of his team. He's their star player, the one who takes over in the clutch and wills his team to victory. The Cavaliers need that version of Mitchell. However, putting more pressure on his shoulders isn't how to get him back to his best. It will only serve to weigh him down.

Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, their best chance of getting their season back on track is to remain patient. Now that the majority of their primary rotation is all back on the court, things should start to level out pretty quickly. Once they have some momentum behind them, Mitchell's prime-time performance level will naturally begin to show itself again.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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