Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell has been struggling lately.
After the Cavs’ close win over the Chicago Bulls to cap off 2022, Mitchell sounded off on how his play has been subpar in recent games, adding that he needs to improve.
“I’ve been playing quite s—– to be quite honest with you,” Mitchell said. “I’ve got to fix that and get better. I have to adjust.”
The Cavs have been one of the top teams in the East this season, and the three-time All-Star has been a huge reason behind their strong showing. Mitchell is posting averages of 28.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest.
However, in his past four games, Mitchell has recorded just 17.5 points per game on 32.9 percent shooting from the field. If it weren’t for a 28-point showing against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, his scoring average would be even lower for that span.
The six-year veteran’s on-court struggles have also coincided with a rough stretch for the Cavs. They had lost three consecutive games prior to the Bulls matchup.
The team was fortunate to come away with a victory against Chicago on Saturday. It had a 103-96 cushion after Caris LeVert hit a 3-footer with 2:03 left in regulation. For the rest of the game, Cleveland failed to hit another basket while the Bulls slowly chipped away at the lead.
Chicago scored six unanswered points and had a chance to win at the buzzer, but DeMar DeRozan’s off-balance shot in the final seconds missed.
Fortunately for Mitchell, his squad won. Otherwise, he probably would have been much harder on himself. The 26-year-old finished the evening with 15 points on 5-for-16 shooting. To make things worse, he missed all six of his 3-point attempts and committed seven turnovers.
Currently, Cleveland has a standing of 23-14, which is the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference. The team is 3.5 games behind the Eastern Conference leaders, the Boston Celtics. The Cavs’ next two contests will come versus the Bulls again and then the Phoenix Suns, both at home. Hopefully, competing in front of Cleveland’s home crowd can help Mitchell recover from his slump.
The Cavs will look to build some needed momentum during the brief home stand, as it will be followed by a five-game road trip out in the Western Conference.
