When Mitchell sits, Cleveland transforms into 'the equivalent of the New Orleans Pelicans' — and that's a serious problem for a team with championship aspirations.
After the Cavs’ 114-98 dismantling of the Orlando Magic — Mitchell’s fifth 40-plus point game this season — cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor laid bare the extent to which Mitchell has become Cleveland’s life support system.
“I think circumstances have dictated Donovan going into superhero mode. Maybe a little bit more than he has wanted, maybe a little bit more than he has preferred, but it’s his responsibility as the leader of this team and the face of this franchise to look around, see what’s happening with this basketball team and trying to figure out what it is they need from him,” Fedor explained on the podcast. The numbers tell a disturbing story. When Mitchell sits, the Cavaliers transform into one of the league’s worst teams. “The Cavs are being outscored by 5.6 points per 100 possessions in the minutes with Donovan off the floor,” Fedor revealed. “To put that in perspective, that is the equivalent of the New Orleans Pelicans. So when Donovan’s off the floor, the Cavs play and act like the New Orleans Pelicans, which you don’t want. They’re the worst team in the Western Conference.” This was vividly demonstrated in Monday’s game against Orlando. When coach Kenny Atkinson tried giving Mitchell a brief rest with seven minutes remaining, the Magic immediately cut into Cleveland’s lead, forcing Mitchell back after just 90 seconds. “They literally cannot function to the same level with him off the floor,” Fedor emphasized. “They are a bad basketball team when he is off the floor.”Reacting to the Cavs’ fourth straight win, and the rising stars that got them here: Wine and Gold Talk podcastCleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins acknowledged that while this dependency might be concerning for the long-term outlook, it speaks volumes about Mitchell’s evolution as a player. “Not only is it hard for stars to continue to advance their games,” Watkins noted, “for any player ever of any role or background, it’s really, really hard to increase your workload and increase your efficiency.”While taking on additional scoring and playmaking responsibilities due to injuries throughout the roster, he’s simultaneously elevated his efficiency. He’s not just scoring in bunches — he’s contributing across the board with assists, steals, blocks, and rebounds while defending at a higher level than earlier in his career. The podcast crew debated whether this superhero act is sustainable. Despite coach Atkinson’s claim that Mitchell might be a “top three player in this league,” Fedor pushed back: “He’s not a top three player. I mean, Jokic is different. Giannis is different. Shai is different. Donovan can become a top three player when he wins a championship.” This conversation raises crucial questions about the Cavaliers’ ceiling. While Mitchell’s heroics have propelled them to a 28-15 record and a six-game winning streak, the team’s complete collapse without him suggests fundamental flaws in the roster construction. As the Cavaliers look toward the playoffs, the podcast makes one thing clear: if they hope to make a deep run, they’ll need more consistent production from Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter. Otherwise, Mitchell’s superhero burden might eventually prove too heavy to bear.
Cleveland-Cavaliers-2025 @Adv-Express @Sub-Group-C @Sub-Group-B @Subscriberexclusive Section:/Cavs
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How Donovan Mitchell’s leadership style is transforming the Cavs’ young playersThe superstar's patient mentorship has turned rookies into contributors and role players into closers, creating a developmental ecosystem that goes beyond what coaches could accomplish.
Read more »
Donovan Mitchell Shows Resilience Amid Cavaliers Struggles, Speaks on MindsetThe Cleveland Cavaliers currently sit five games above .500 at a mark of 27-20 on the season, most recently defeating the Orlando Magic on the road.
Read more »
Cleveland Cavaliers Star Donovan Mitchell Reveals Dean Wade's NicknameDean Wade has been solid for the Cleveland Cavaliers as of late. After beating the Orlando Magic, Donovan Mitchell revealed his new nickname.
Read more »
Magic must cut the head off snake to defeat Donovan Mitchell in ClevelandThe Orlando Magic visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night after struggling to contain Cleveland's star in the last meeting.
Read more »
Paolo Banchero Shines, But Donovan Mitchell Too Much as Magic Lose Again vs. CavsThe Orlando Magic dropped a second game in a row against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Read more »
Donovan Mitchell scores 45, leads Cavs to fourth straight win, 114-98 over MagicCleveland recovered from a slow start and continued its recent surge with a 114-98 win over the Orlando Magic at Rocket Arena — the sixth win in the last seven games and second in the last 48 hours against Orlando.
Read more »