May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts during the first half against the Indiana Pacers in game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

NBA Legend, Ex-Bulls Player Gets Honest on Donovan Mitchell's Struggles

Originally posted on Chicago Bulls on SI
By Liam Willerup | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 10:20 AM ET

When discussing the best shooting guards in the NBA, Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell is right up there. Ever since entering the league with the Utah Jazz, Mitchell has been a 20-point-per-game scorer and has made the postseason every year. However, he hasn't exactly gone far, with only a handful of appearances beyond the first round, and never getting farther.

Even with the Cavaliers posting their second-best record in franchise history this season at 64-18, the Indiana Pacers defeated them in five games despite Mitchell averaging 34.2 points per game. In a recent episode of his podcast , NBA legend and ex-Chicago Bulls star Dwyane Wade discussed what might be the case with Mitchell's struggles.

Why can’t Donovan Mitchell make it past the second round?

Dwyane Wade & Dorell Wright discuss. pic.twitter.com/3qx0xFP4U2
— Wy Network by Dwyane Wade (@wynetwork) May 19, 2025

"Do you think it's simply bad luck, right now, for him? Do you think it's something when it comes to his style of play, his leadership? Or do you think it just ain't his time?" Wade asked. While the Cavaliers star is still just 28 years old, Wade went on to add that he's held to a different standard now, given his stardom.

"Donovan's at a different level now. He's judged by what he does in the playoffs...He has to find a way because he wants to be in that conversation with the greats," Wade added. Mitchell has actually received many comparisons to Wade, given their play style, but the former Miami Heat star was already an NBA Champion by his third season.

Donovan Mitchell has more 40-point playoff games than

Jayson Tatum
Larry Bird
Kyrie Irving
Damian Lillard
Carmelo Anthony
Tracy McGrady
Tim Duncan
Charles Barkley
Kawhi Leonard
Nikola Jokic
Magic Johnson
Oscar Robertson pic.twitter.com/H7SUDDa6s2
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 10, 2025

Wade challenged Mitchell to work at it this offseason to try and make changes to help his team win, while the Cavaliers will likely be exploring options as well to surround Mitchell with a retooled supporting cast for next year.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bulls on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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