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Donovan Mitchell getting over Round 2 hump hinges on investment in Cavs teammates | Ulrich
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- Donovan Mitchell getting over Round 2 hump hinges on investment in Cavs teammates | Ulrich
INDEPENDENCE — Donovan Mitchell bet on the Cavaliers helping him boldly go where he has not gone before.
Then Mitchell sacrificed individual glory for team success throughout the 2024-25 regular season .
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Now it's time for Mitchell's Cavs teammates to reward him for his trust and selflessness.
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Mitchell has reached the NBA playoffs in each of his eight professional seasons, five with the Utah Jazz and three with the Cavs.
However, Mitchell has never advanced beyond the second round, otherwise known as the conference semifinals . It's a fact he's openly discussed with the Beacon Journal and other local media outlets since he arrived in Northeast Ohio via the Cavs' blockbuster September 2022 trade with Jazz.
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The topic has returned to the forefront because the Cavs will open their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Indiana Pacers at either 6 or 8 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland .
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts during Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series against the Miami Heat on April 23, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Mitchell has never been a member of a team with as much firepower as the 2024-25 Cavaliers , who went 64-18 in the regular season, captured the Eastern Conference's No. 1 playoff seed and swept the No. 8 Miami Heat 4-0 in the first round of the postseason.
Yet, Mitchell has previously been on a top-seeded playoff team. The 2020-21 Jazz went 52-20 in the regular-season, earned the Western Conference's No. 1 playoff seed and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 4-1 in the opening round before being upset 4-2 by the Los Angeles Clippers in the conference semifinals.
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The scars still exist, and they remain relevant. They're motivating Mitchell.
"That's why I wake up every day," Mitchell said Thursday, May 1, after practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts. "It's why I work so hard. This is not my first time in the second round. It's not my first time being the one seed.
"I'm fortunate enough to have another crack at it. So for me, and obviously for the group, it's not just myself, but for the group, just continuing to want to take that next step — that's why we play this game. We don't play to have a 64-win season and be happy. We play to win the championship. That's the goal, and that's really what is fueling me."
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates after the Cavs beat the Miami Heat in Game 4 of a first-round NBA playoff series April 28, 2025, in Miami, Florida.
Mitchell and Co. realize they have the ingredients of a title team, and they certainly want to win it all. There's also a sense the Cavs consider reaching the Eastern Conference Finals the bare minimum of what they should accomplish. For example, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson told the Beacon Journal before the playoffs began anything short of a Round 3 appearance would cause "disappointment."
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The 28-year-old Mitchell explained he has been trying to instill "a level of desperation" in his teammates.
By signing a three-year, $150.3 million contract extension with the Cavs in July, Mitchell took a leap of faith a franchise determined to maintain roster continuity could make deep playoff runs in the future despite being knocked out last year in Round 2 by the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics and two years ago in Round 1 by the New York Knicks .
The most significant change the Cavs made this past offseason was hiring Atkinson to replace coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Since then, guard Ty Jerome has successfully returned from an ankle surgery to finish third in NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting , and the Cavs acquired wing De'Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks just before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Hunter placed fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates with center Jarrett Allen (31) against the Heat in the second quarter of Game 4 in their NBA Playoffs first-round series, April 28, 2025, in Miami.
But Mitchell buying into Atkinson's ideas about how to overcome the second-round hurdle has been crucial.
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Although Mitchell has been a great leader since he joined the Cavs, he improved in the area this season. He went the extra mile to empower teammates, promote their development and defer to them when appropriate. Forward Evan Mobley and point guard Darius Garland benefited the most. They both made the All-Star team as a result, and Mobley became the NBA Defensive Player of the Year .
Maximizing Mitchell's chances to be healthy for the playoffs was part of the strategy, too. His minutes shifted from 35.8 and 35.3 in his first two regular seasons with the Cavs under Bickerstaff to 31.4 with Atkinson at the helm. He also went from averaging 28.3 points in 2022-23 and 26.6 points in 2023-24 to 24 points in 2024-25.
A six-time All-Star guard, Mitchell took a step back so other Cavs players could take leaps forward.
The evidence resurfaced April 26 in Game 3 against the Heat. Mitchell went 4-of-14 shooting from the field and scored just 13 points while Garland sat out with a sprained big toe. The Cavs still rolled to a 124-87 win in Miami and then completed their sweep with a 138-83 rout in Game 4. Those outcomes are significant affirmations because Garland could miss more playoff time with his injury.
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Although Mitchell must do his part as a superstar for the Cavs to defeat the fourth-seeded Pacers in their best-of-seven series, his teammates also have a responsibility to prove he was wise to invest in them. They have reciprocated at virtually every stage this season, and the stakes are rising again.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Donovan Mitchell shows faith Cavs can reach Eastern Conference Finals
