Cavs need more than just Donovan Mitchell to show up to beat Celtics
08/05/2024 15:25
After Darius Garland boasted that the Cleveland Cavaliers would shock the Boston Celtics and the world in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, it looks like he and his teammates were the ones who were shocked when the game began.
Well, as long as you don’t include Donovan Mitchell.
In the Cavs’ 120-95 Game 1 loss to Boston, Mitchell scored 33 points on 12-of-25 shooting and 4-of-11 from beyond the arc, six rebounds, and five assists in 37 minutes. Between his points and assists, Mitchell was responsible for 45.3% of the Cavs’ total points. He carried over the momentum and standard he had set when Cleveland was able to put away the Orlando Magic in the first round after a seven-game slugfest.
Unfortunately, whenever Mitchell sat, the Cavs lost any offensive momentum against a Celtics team feeding off the energy of an amped-up Boston crowd. In the moments Mitchell was resting on the sideline, Cleveland was outscored 17-6, including a 10-2 Celtics run to open the fourth quarter that put the game away.
What can Cavs do to support Donovan Mitchell in Game 2?
Many thought Cleveland would be the underdog against Boston heading into this Eastern Conference battle. While this Game 1 defeat further corroborates that narrative, Mitchell’s performance, despite commanding so much defensive attention while dealing with a bothersome knee injury, should be encouraging for the Cavs heading into Game 2.
If Mitchell maintains this level of play and the rest of Cleveland’s roster meets him at the summit, there’s a chance the Cavs tie this series up as things shift to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for Games 3 and 4. But it cannot just be one player for Cleveland, especially with Boston getting stellar performances from Jaylen Brown and Derrick White while superstar forward Jayson Tatum only scored 18 points, which is below average by his standards.
Outside of Mitchell, the Cavs will need multiple players to level up their efforts to hang with the Celtics, starting with Garland. If Garland wants to shock the world, he needs to do better when the ball is in his hands. Sure, the zero turnovers are fantastic for a guard who can turn it over at Garland’s rate. However, the five assists Garland was able to chip in resulted in 12 points for Cleveland, which is a positive trend and helps shoulder the offensive load Mitchell has to carry.
Instead, the Cavs need Garland to be more aggressive in scoring the ball, not passing it. Game 1 marked Garland's fifth game with fewer than 15 points this postseason, and that trend can't continue if Cleveland wants a chance in this series.
After Garland received plenty of heat for his lackluster scoring numbers against the Magic, he dialed up the intensity in Game 5, chipping in 23 points and five assists, which resulted in 12 additional points. So, maybe Garland will internalize any criticism from Game 1 and channel it into a more stellar Game 2 performance.
If he does, especially if he and Mitchell are constantly attacking the basket, that can empower other players on Cleveland’s roster to get rolling on the perimeter or near the rim, depending on how the duo of Mitchell and Garland force Boston’s defense to adjust. If not, there’s a chance that the Cavs could be staring down the barrel 0-2 with the series shifting to Cleveland, hoping to avoid digging their grave even deeper against the team with the best record in the NBA.
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