Cleveland Sports Forum

Defending Donovan Mitchell: The challenge of guarding the Cavs’ star guard NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 4: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the New York Knicks on December 4, 2022 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
By Kelsey Russo
Apr 11, 2023

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CLEVELAND — As Josh Hart sat in the visiting team locker room in Cleveland and listened to a question about why Donovan Mitchell is difficult to guard, he paused before answering.

“Nothing. He’s the easiest one to guard. Put that in there, right before the playoffs,” Hart told The Athletic. And then he started to laugh.

That was about a week and a half ago when the Cavs fell to the New York Knicks at home 130-116. Now, the No. 4-seeded Cavs have a date with the No. 5-seeded Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.

New York can throw a number of different coverages at Mitchell, from showing on pick-and-rolls to blitzing him. The Knicks could use guys like Hart, Quentin Grimes or Immanuel Quickley. And because their best perimeter players are 6-foot-5 and under, more than likely, New York won’t put a ton of length on Mitchell. In that March 31 game, Hart matched up with Mitchell, who was taken 17 spots earlier than him in the 2017 NBA Draft.

“He’s a really good scorer at all three levels,” Hart said. “He’s efficient at all three levels. A lot of times, you want guys to try to force them to do something that they’re not comfortable with. And he’s someone who’s obviously athletic, is able to finish above the rim, finish through contact. He’s strong, has an explosive first step. He has that, but then he’s shooting 38 percent from 3 on, like, nine to 10 3s a game.”

It’ll be a difficult assignment for whoever gets matched up with the four-time NBA All-Star. What makes it so tough? This is what opposing coaches, players and Mitchell’s teammates had to say:

About three years ago, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau noticed Mitchell letting the 3-ball fly more often.

Over his first three seasons in the league with the Utah Jazz, Mitchell averaged 6.8 3-point attempts per game. Then, during the 2020-21 season, there was an uptick. He averaged 8.7 3-point attempts per game that season, and it has continued to increase. Last season with the Jazz, he averaged 9.8 attempts per game. And in his first season in Cleveland, Mitchell averaged 9.3 3-point attempts per game through the regular season. That shift has also opened up Mitchell’s driving game. It makes him a threat from all three levels.

“I thought he’s always been dynamic; he has that part down,” Thibodeau said. “He’s very difficult and shifty. And so you can cross over away on pick-and-rolls. You can split pick-and-rolls. But I think him adding that to his game really changed his game. And he’s great off the dribble. He’s versatile in the sense you can play him with the ball, you can play him off the ball, so you have to be ready for both. And he’s not afraid. He’s a great competitor.”

“He’s as explosive as any guard in this league,” Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He can go off at any time. He’s going to make you pay attention.”

Mitchell’s first season in a Cavaliers jersey has been a decorated one, and the 26-year-old has already broken a number of records in the team’s history book. Mitchell has 13 40-point games, the most in a single season in Cavs history. He posted four consecutive 40-plus point games, another franchise first.

He’s shooting 38.6 percent from 3, which ties his career high. He’s also shooting 48.4 percent from the field, which is a career high, and averaging 28.3 points per game. Mitchell also scored 71 points in a game against the Chicago Bulls in January, becoming the seventh player in NBA history to record 70-plus points in a game.

“It’s legendary,” Darius Garland said after the Cavs’ 115-105 win over the Pacers on April 2. “It’s a bucket. I mean, it just shows the work that he puts in and the ability to go out and do it at a high level for a stretch like that; I mean, that’s really good to see. And then as just a teammate, I mean, I’m super proud of him.”

According to Second Spectrum, over the last three seasons, Mitchell is fifth in off-the-dribble 3s — which include pullup, behind the screen and stepback. He ranks ninth among 32 total players with at least 500 off-the-dribble shots. He is also seventh in drives to the basket — which includes layups or floaters — among guards. He’s shooting 55.5 percent on drives to the basket, which ranks 13th among guards with 500 field goals attempted. Mitchell is also 24th in direct isolations among all players and ranks 13th in direct points per iso with 1.07.

Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, who coached Mitchell during his first five seasons in Utah, has seen Mitchell add different elements to his game.

Early in his career, Mitchell started finishing off of one foot, instead of two. It was one of the ways Snyder watched Mitchell evolve his game early in his career. As Mitchell began demanding different coverages, he improved his ability to read and adjust on the court.

“I’ve seen his range improve. Just his understanding about what are the most efficient ways for him,” Snyder said. “Shooting behind with a dribble handoff, like you start to see situations where you can impact the game. Sometimes subtle, sometimes not so subtle. He’s getting to the rim, getting fouled, things like that again, make you more and more efficient as well.”

The two still have a close relationship, and Mitchell frequently has credited Snyder as one of the people who have helped him be successful in the league.

Hart said he had to be physical and tough when guarding Mitchell, who scored 42 points in the last Knicks-Cavs meeting, and couldn’t get discouraged if Mitchell hit shots. Sometimes, that’s just what great players do.

“He just has the ability to be effective and efficient, which is the most important part, at all three levels,” Hart said. “I think that’s something that’s special. It’s not something that you see from everybody. You only see it from the great offensive players in the league.”

Even some younger players in the league who draw Mitchell as their defensive assignment look forward to the challenge of limiting him. Or trying to, at least.

Take the Magic’s Jalen Suggs, who faced off against Mitchell last week in the Cavs’ 117-113 win over Orlando. Mitchell scored 43 points. Suggs, who takes pride in his defense, took special notice of Mitchell’s lower body strength. Suggs matched up with Mitchell on different possessions throughout the game and tried to make his shots tough; but late in the fourth quarter, Suggs guarded Mitchell as he hit a stepback jumper and saw firsthand just what he can do.

Suggs also had the chance to talk with Mitchell after the first game in Orlando and again on Thursday.

“He’s always on balance. He’s always explosive,” Suggs said. “And he’s always a threat to pull-up because he’s strong in his lower body. So just trying to speed him up as much as I can and make shots tough for him. You play great players, they are going to make it tough on you; you can play amazing defense, hand in face, and pretty much foul, and sometimes they’re just gonna hit their stuff.”

The Cavs officially wrapped up the regular season with a 51-31 record, the most wins since 2016-17 when they won 51 regular-season games. They also claimed home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs, where they will see the Knicks. Game 1 will take place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 15.

As the Cavs prepare, Mitchell will be one of the top guys on the Knicks’ scouting report.

“He’s a top talent in this league. Unbelievable offensive player,” Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said. “As an offensive talent, there aren’t many better. […] He’s just pretty damn good.”

Why are Cleveland games so painful to watch ? Geez.......

Bench outscored by 20; need more depth to win in the playoffs. Reminded that Love's $ will be available for free agent signing. No draft choices available for years ahead.

Very little of Love's money will be available. Possibly about 15 of 30 million which does not buy much.

The Cavs would have loved having Love on the bench yesterday. He might have got a defensive rebound. Team needed an experienced player for a few minutes. Most Cavs looked terrified. LeVert has always looked terrible to me. Hopefully they can sign and trade him for someone that could shoot.

Lavert had finished the regular season on a high; but it didn't carry over. He should be the best player off the bench;

Lloyd: It’s time Cavs discover whether Danny Green can help them

Apr 15, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley (5) dribbles beside Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) in the first quarter of game one of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
By Jason Lloyd
Apr 16, 2023
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CLEVELAND — Some of this is correctable. Some of it is concerning.

The Cavs are in a 1-0 hole in their first-round playoff series with the Knicks and already facing a crucial Game 2 at home because of a number of issues they can fix and a couple of huge decisions coach J.B. Bickerstaff will have to address between now and Tuesday.

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First, the easy stuff. Evan Mobley missed eight shots in the paint. That seems pretty correctable. Bickerstaff lamented the 17 offensive rebounds the Knicks gathered and the fact the scouting report identified Josh Hart as someone who crashes the glass, yet the Cavs still allowed him to get inside for five huge offensive rebounds.

Those are items a little film study and the experience of going through a playoff game for the first time can correct. I don’t know if the Cavs can keep the ball from the middle of the floor defensively or if they can keep Hart off the glass, but I’m confident Mobley won’t shoot 3-of-11 from the paint again Tuesday night in Game 2.

The larger issue, the more complicated problem with no easy solution, is the same one that has loomed over this team since the last few weeks of the season. The bench is a mess, the rotation is clunky and they don’t have any playable bigs other than Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

All of which is why it’s time the Cavs take a look at Danny Green.

It’s a long series, but it’s getting late awfully early around here. A 2-0 deficit going back to Madison Square Garden feels like a death sentence for a young team making its playoff debut. If Tuesday isn’t a must win, it’s only one rung lower on the panic ladder.

I’ve told anyone who will listen since they acquired him after the trade deadline that I thought Green could impact this team in the playoffs. He can’t move well defensively anymore, but he is deadly on those corner 3s the Cavs just can’t make right now.


Danny Green is introduced before the game Saturday against the New York Knicks. (David Liam Kyle / NBAE via Getty Images)
Isaac Okoro is a liability offensively. He made one shot during his 23 minutes on the floor and missed all four of his 3-point attempts — all from the corner. The Knicks are willing to give the Cavs that shot when he’s on the floor and dare him to shoot. He was wide-open on all of them and made none of them. The Cavs are playing four-on-five on offense when Okoro is on the floor.

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To be fair, this was Okoro’s first playoff game and his first game back from a knee injury. Bickerstaff said it was hard to miss three weeks and then have the first game back be in that type of intense environment. Of course, it didn’t seem to bother Julius Randle, who missed the last two weeks of the season with an ankle injury and still managed to punish the Cavs with 19 points and 10 rebounds in Game 1.

The Cavs got nothing from Okoro or Caris LeVert. Together, they were 0-of-7 from 3-point range. LeVert is historically erratic. He could score 30 or shoot 2-for-12. The Cavs might also need LeVert to step into more of a ballhandling role because Ricky Rubio looks unplayable at this point. Bickerstaff tried using both Rubio and Dean Wade for a brief stretch in the first half. Both guys were a mess. Neither played in the second half.

“The playoffs present a game-by-game situation of what we need,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s going to be judged by performance. If you’re playing at the level we need you to play at, you’re going to be the guy. We have guys that we know what they’re capable of. But if we have to go deeper, we’ll just go deeper because we have to find guys who are going to be productive.”

It’s already time to go deeper.

Cedi Osman earned another look with 19 strong minutes off the bench. Together, Osman and LeVert may have to handle some of the ballhandling duties while the starting guards rest because I don’t know how Bickerstaff can trust Rubio right now. Wade may get another look just because there are no other bigs Bickerstaff can turn to off the bench.

If Donovan Mitchell could’ve dragged Cleveland to a Game 1 win, or if this series had started on the road, Bickerstaff would have a little more time to figure things out and perhaps give Okoro more opportunities. I’m not certain that’s possible now given the 1-0 deficit and the urgency to win Game 2.

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Bickerstaff might already feel the same way — Okoro played less than two minutes of the fourth quarter Saturday.

Green is a career 40 percent 3-point shooter who has appeared in 165 playoff games. He and Mitchell are basically the only two players on this roster with any sort of postseason experience.

Green starting on the wing might sound like a panic move and feel completely irrational given how little he has played this season, but I’m old enough to remember when the Cavs brought Kevin Love off the bench in a Finals series against Golden State. If Love can be benched in favor of Richard Jefferson in the Finals, Okoro can certainly be benched in favor of Green in the first round.

Okoro is useful defensively and can be helpful on Jalen Brunson in the right spots, but let’s not pretend Brunson is at the level of a Kobe Bryant in his prime and that only Okoro can stop him. Brunson is a fine player and a great scorer — just like so many other great scorers in a league built for scoring. If Okoro is so necessary defensively, where was he in the fourth quarter Saturday night?

There was a plan in place to get a longer look at Green before the postseason started and gauge how much he had left, but that eroded when he entered the league’s health and safety protocol. They were left with two meaningless games at the end of the season to really evaluate Green when he scored 34 points and shot 8-of-19 from 3 against Orlando and Charlotte.

Ideally, the Cavs would’ve liked a little larger sample size before determining whether Green can really help them. There’s nothing they can do about that now. They’re in a 1-0 series hole at home with an untested roster and a coach who has to make uncomfortable decisions like this already.

If he doesn’t start, Green at least deserves minutes off the bench. His presence will balance the floor, force the Knicks to guard him and remove an extra body from the paint when Mitchell or Darius Garland penetrate.

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The Knicks are clearly the deeper team and have won the last four meetings. That’s probably not a coincidence, but it isn’t insurmountable. The extra days off between games should mitigate the heavier minutes the Cavs’ regulars will have to carry. But they have to get something out of the small-forward spot.

They know what Okoro provides. It’s time to find out if Green can give them more.

Lloyd: The search for the missing spokes in Cavs rotation

CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 15: Dean Wade #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers falls over Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks during the first quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 15, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
By Jason Lloyd
Apr 17, 2023
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INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — If you’re looking for hope, if you’re searching for optimism that the Cleveland Cavaliers can tie their playoff series with the New York Knicks in Game 2 and make this a thrilling joust again heading to Madison Square Garden, let’s start here:

Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen outscored the Knicks by 15 points while they were on the floor together in Game 1. Even with all the rebounding issues, the bench woes and Mobley’s inability to finish around the basket, the Cavs’ big four dominated the Knicks during their 32 minutes together as a quartet. Only the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics had foursomes with better plus/minus numbers over the weekend, and all three of those teams won their playoff openers by double figures.

The Cavs’ grouping also played by far the heaviest minutes together of any foursome in all of the opening games. That isn’t surprising. Mitchell, Mobley, Allen and Garland all ranked within the top 15 postseason players across the league in Game 1 minutes. And while it was only one game, that trend is only going to continue. We’ve known for months how top-heavy this roster is and how much the Cavs will rely on those four to carry them.

Luckily, Mitchell is only 26 and the rest are 24 or younger. They’re built for heavy minutes, and the extra off days should help ease the abnormal loads they’re about to carry.

The problem is that fifth spot and beyond. The top four can’t do it alone. They need someone, anyone, to help them. Add Isaac Okoro to that quartet, and the plus/minus plunged from plus-15 to plus-4. With Cedi Osman and the other four, it’s plus-6. Even with Caris LeVert, who played one of his worst games since coming to Cleveland, the other four starters together with him still managed a plus-5.

The moral of Game 1 was the top four were good enough to absorb whoever the fifth spoke was and maintain relatively the same amount of productivity. It’s when any of those top four were off the floor and new faces entered when trouble arose.

The Cavs led 17-15 when the subs began rolling in with 4 minutes, 53 seconds left in the first quarter. First, it was LeVert and Dean Wade replacing Mobley and Okoro. Eventually, Ricky Rubio joined them.

Over essentially a seven-and-a-half-minute stretch from the time LeVert and Wade entered until Rubio and Wade departed with 9:26 left in the half, the Cavs were outscored by 13 points. They chased the Knicks the rest of the night.

Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff can continue talking about the offensive glass and rebounding, and he’s right. Rebounding is always huge in the playoffs. But softening the damage when he has to rest multiple guys toward the end of the first quarter and the start of the second could be critical throughout the series.

Whom can he trust? Where can he turn?



It isn’t like the Cavs need LeVert or Wade or Okoro or Danny Green or anyone else to come in and rescue them. They just need to avoid someone putting a banana in the tailpipe during the three to four minutes Mitchell and Mobley or Allen aren’t on the floor. That’s it. It isn’t a big ask.

This isn’t the 2018 Cavs who were searching for someone, anyone, to step in and help LeBron James and Kevin Love. This group is just looking for two to three guys who won’t undo 40 minutes of brush strokes with eight minutes of pipe bombs.

Danny Green did play yesterday and I guess he must have helped.

LaVert had a GREAT game.

Garland was pretty good too.

Now they need to reclaim homecourt advantage with a win in the Garden

Hard to watch this team. Have a bunch of players that play scared.

those were 2 not very impressive performances. One day Garland was terrible and Mitchell played up to his standard. And then they reversed roles. Game 4 they fought back and caught up, briefly, which was a lot better than in Game 3 but reasonably close does not count for much.

Why Cavs still believe they can come back against Knicks to win series: ‘It’s not over’

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 23: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during a stop in play in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks during Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 23, 2023 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-93. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
By Kelsey Russo
Apr 26, 2023
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INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been in this situation once before.

When he was an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets in the 2014-15 season, they were down to the Los Angeles Clippers 3-1 before completing a comeback with a Game 7 win to beat the Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals. Associate head coach Greg Buckner was also a part of that Houston staff as a player development coach at the time.

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The Rockets had lost the first game of the series at home but won Game 2. Then, they lost both Game 3 and 4 on the road. Then they won the next three games to win the series.

Bickerstaff is turning to that time of his coaching career and experience to help navigate where the Cavs are at in the first-round series against the Knicks entering Game 5.

“I think for our guys – and I was fortunate enough to be with Kevin McHale, who had seen it all and been through it all, and he just impressed upon our guys that all you have to do is focus on one game,” Bickerstaff said. “This is not in our mind and should not be a three-game thought process. All it is is one basketball game, and we’ve proven that we can win one game. Take it game by game, with the thought of, all you have to do is the job that’s in front of you. I think at that time, our guys really bought into it and were able to come back and win it. That’s the message that we’ve spread to our guys here is this is just about (Wednesday), and all it is is one basketball game. We know we’re capable of winning one basketball game.”

And that message has stuck with the players.

The Cavs are aware of the situation they are in, being down 3-1 to the Knicks and knowing their season is on the line with the outcome of Wednesday’s Game 5. Only 13 teams have come back from being down 3-1 to win a series. Yet, they aren’t letting that knowledge affect their approach to Wednesday’s game.

“Either you grow together, or you separate, and I feel like we’ve grown together,” Evan Mobley said.

Bickerstaff doesn’t think they have played their best game of the series yet. Game 2 was “good” in his eyes, but he believes they can be better — both the coaches and players. It was the only game of the series that they out-rebounded the Knicks and limited their offensive boards, which played a factor in winning Game 2.

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Game 5 will come down to the Cavs playing solid defense. Offensively, they have to move the ball, create for one another and control the boards. The rebounding disparity has come down to the Cavs being out of position due to their own high pick-and-rolls and New York packing the paint, or they are being drawn out in the Knicks’ pick-and-rolls.

As a coaching staff, they’ve gone back and watched film from all of the games in this series to see what areas they can refine and what has worked. So have the players. Mobley said they could see the differences in each game, like the intensity and assignments they either made or missed. And it helps in their preparation.

“We’re in as good a spot as you can be,” Bickerstaff said. “Our guys have never surrendered, and I don’t ever expect them to surrender. We’re going to go out (Wednesday) and (Wednesday’s) going to be a hell of a game, and we’re going to lay it all out on the line.”

Donovan Mitchell said the vibes around the team are loose. Following practice on Tuesday, players continued to get up shots with teammates and assistant coaches, going through their post-practice routines. There is an understanding of what is at stake, but they have used the days following Game 4 to reflect and move past what occurred in Games 3 and 4. In any way they can, they aren’t trying to add extra weight or pressure to Game 5.

And Mitchell is relying on motivation to win the game. To him, it doesn’t matter if it’s an ugly or pretty game. It doesn’t matter if they win by one, or by more than 10. All he’s focused on is getting a win.

“It’s not over,” Mitchell said. “It’s Game 5; that’s the message. Teams have come back from a 3-1 lead. Obviously, it happened here. But for us, it’s Game 5.”

Part of the main learning curve of the playoffs – and how teams succeed at this stage of the season — is adjusting quickly from mistakes. To Mitchell, who has been in this position each season of his career, those adjustments are the definition of the playoffs. And Bickerstaff said the most important aspect of learning quickly from those mistakes is the ability to apply.

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“You don’t have a month or six weeks to figure these things out,” Bickerstaff said. “I mean, you have to take the lesson you learned, and you have to apply it in two days, and that’s not always easy, but it’s what has to happen again. Our guys have been pretty resilient through the year, always kind of figured out a way, and I expect us to do that again tomorrow.”

For the Cavs to have success in Game 5, much of it comes down to execution. They know what the Knicks are going to throw at them, and vice versa. They have to find ways to make shots, be in the right positions to limit the Knicks on the offensive boards, prevent second-chance opportunities and curb their own turnovers. Each possession matters. Their defensive mentality will play a critical role, but so will an increase in offensive production.

“It’s a dog fight,” Mitchell said. “You’re in a hole; how do you dig out of it? The character of our group, the making of our group, I believe that we’ll all do our part come (Wednesday), but we just gotta worry about one game, one night, seven o’clock tomorrow, just be ready for it.”

One of the most em bare assing performances by a team in the NBA playoffs that I can remember. Will never understand the buy out of Kevin Love,

As Ricky Ricardo use to say, Koby Altman you got some explaining to do !

Personally, the Cavs might have to trade Garland and Allen to remake this team in to a tougher team. Scrub Mitchell Robinson made them look like little boys.

How about that ? Haslam buys into the Milwaukee Bucks and they immediately lose in the first round. Shocking !

Story above noted: The challenge of guarding the Cavs’ star guard

The Knicks figured it out

In Miami's clincher yesterday Love hit 5 3's and scooped up a dozen rebounds. That would have been nice to see in a Cavs boxscore.