Superstar guard Donovan Mitchell is expected to help the Cleveland Cavaliers make some noise in the regular season and lead the team to the playoffs in the 2022-23 campaign.
Fans were able to see Mitchell in action with the Cavs for the first time on Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers. He didn’t disappoint, recording 16 points, two rebounds, five assists and one steal in 19 minutes of action.
He looked solid alongside backcourt partner Darius Garland, who recently talked about Mitchell and explained how he can help the Cavs.
"He's just like an ultimate scorer"
Darius Garland on what Donovan Mitchell brings to the Cavs offense.
Hear more from Darius Garland on the Cavs Season Preview Show streaming now https://t.co/WZ5AbLsdbW@VinceGoodWill| @HowardBeck| @cavs| @dariusgarland22 pic.twitter.com/yf6mB1yWQB
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) October 8, 2022
“It’s just really just off the feel of the game,” Garland started. “He’s just like a ultimate scorer. He gets a bucket whenever he wants to. This summer, when the trade happened, I went back and watched a lot of Donovan Mitchell film to see where he likes his shots, see how he gets to his shot.
“So, I’ve been watching a lot of film of him and then just over training camp, watching our practice films, just seeing some of the things that he likes to do. … We both don’t like to lose. We want to win, so I think that’s gon’ take us over the top anyways.”
It’s great to hear that Garland seems to enjoy playing alongside Mitchell. After all, they’re surely going to be the Cavs’ leading scorers this upcoming season.
At times last season, Garland had to carry too much of a load for the Cavs on offense. He looked exhausted and worn out toward the end of the campaign and wasn’t able to will the Cavs to the playoffs.
While both players are 6-foot-1 each, they’ve shown abilities to get to their spots on offense and score in bunches. Garland averaged 21.7 points and 8.6 assists per game last season en route to his first All-Star selection.
Mitchell averaged 25.9 points and 5.3 assists per contest while making his third All-Star Game.
Preaching defense
Everyone knows that Mitchell is one of the best scorers in the league today. Many have expressed concerns with his abilities on the defensive end.
Since the Cavs acquired him, Mitchell has expressed his motivation to be a two-way player and said that he’s not looking to bring down a “top five” defense. It’s good that Mitchell is making an effort to focus on the defensive side of the ball. His impressive athleticism could definitely help him be an impact player on that end this season.
#Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell acknowledges he hasn’t been the best on defense up to this point but joining this team is motivating him to improve on that end of the floor.
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) September 14, 2022
#Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell says that the extra offensive talent around him will allow him to spend more energy on the defensive side of the ball.
“This is a top 5 defense. I’m not looking to bring it down.”
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) September 27, 2022
Cleveland has three more preseason games remaining before it begins its regular season. It will face the 76ers again on Monday before taking on the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday and Orlando Magic on Friday.
The Cavs will kick their regular season off on Oct. 19 on the road against Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors.
