Basketball players at all levels tend to make ill-advised plays from time to time, and Cleveland Cavaliers Donovan Mitchell is no different.
He recently took a shot and got blocked despite seemingly having four teammates open, something that Cavs big man Georges Niang later called him out on.
#Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell said Georges Niang has been big on holding him and his teammates accountable. He shared that Niang told him, 'Hey. Four other guys were open.' when Mitchell had his shot blocked during the game.
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) December 7, 2023
Niang is in his first season with the Cavs, as he signed a three-year deal with the franchise in the offseason after spending last season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
His impact has been felt both on and off the court it appears, as he’s recording 8.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while knocking down 42.0 percent of his shots from the field and 35.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
A speech of his earlier in the season has seemingly inspired a turnaround for the Cavs after a sluggish 3-5 start to the current campaign. Cleveland is 9-4 since Niang gave the team the “passionate” speech in November.
Mitchell and Niang played four years together earlier in their careers on the Utah Jazz, so it seems as though the latter has no problem holding the All-NBA guard accountable whenever he deems it to be necessary.
With the recent turnaround, the Cavs have lifted themselves to eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a 12-9 record. They are set to take on the Miami Heat in South Florida on Friday night.
In 16 games this season, Mitchell is putting up 27.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while knocking down 45.1 percent of his shots from the field and 35.6 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Cleveland is attempting to make it back to the playoffs this season after earning the Eastern Conference’s No. 4 seed last season. The playoffs didn’t go as hoped, as Cleveland lost in five games to the New York Knicks in the first round.
Changes will reportedly take place if things don’t get better this season, so there’s tons of pressure on Mitchell and the rest of the team to perform well.
After taking on Miami, the Cavs will stay in Florida and head north to face the Orlando Magic on Dec. 11.
