By several accounts, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ offense has looked fantastic through nine games of the 2024-25 regular season. Cleveland is leading the league in points per game (123.2), made field goals made per game (46.8) and field-goal percentage (52.6 percent) while also ranking second in 3-point percentage (42.1 percent).
But if there’s one aspect of the offensive side of the floor where the Cavaliers have room for improvement, it may be the frequency with which they get to the charity stripe. Only four teams in the league are averaging fewer free-throw attempts per game than the Cavaliers are at 19.6, and in their most recent game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Cavs took just 13 free throws.
Donovan Mitchell — who accounted for nearly half of his team’s free-throw attempts against the Pelicans with six — used the word “inconsistent” to describe the officiating toward the Cavaliers this season.
Donovan Mitchell speaks postgame on the free throw disparity: pic.twitter.com/plNUD3EIB6
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) November 7, 2024
“Another thing, too, we’re drivin’ the basketball,” Mitchell said. “We’re second in the league in drives per game, and we’re not getting any foul calls, you know? I think — I’ve been quiet about it for a long time. Tonight, I almost lost my mind. D.G. (Darius Garland) had no free throws tonight. I had six in the finally end of the game.
“For us to be able to drive — and for to be the team that we are — to get no foul calls, I think it’s crazy. The refereein’ has been so inconsistent, especially against us. … And it’s not even just myself, it’s as a collective. Evan Mobley comes down on an alley-oop, almost rolls his ankle, there’s no foul call. Evan rolls his ankle, he’s out.
“You know what I’m saying? There’s no consistency, but yet we’re playing against teams, and guys are goin’ out there gettin’ ticktack fouls. We play the [Los Angeles] Lakers, it’s 33-8. Tonight, I don’t even know when the first foul call was in the second half. So, for me, it’s like, at some point, we need some consistency on our end.
“… It’s gettin’ out of hand. It’s gettin’ crazy, you know what I’m sayin’? I think that’s somethin’ that really needs to tighten up ’cause — I mean, I’m probably gonna get fined for that, but it’s outrageous.”
Despite the fact that the Pelicans took 15 more free throws than the Cavaliers did, Cleveland still came out on top by nine points to improve to 9-0. The Cavaliers are now off to their best undefeated start to a campaign in the history of the franchise.
Mitchell also still managed to have a big scoring night against New Orleans. He was the only member of the Cavaliers to score 20-plus points on Wednesday, as he finished with a team-high 29 on 10-of-20 shooting from the field and 3-of-9 shooting from deep.
So far in his third season playing for the Cavaliers, the former University of Louisville standout is averaging 23.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals per contest. He’s producing despite averaging just 3.6 free-throw attempts per game, which marks a career-low, and he hasn’t taken more than seven shots from the charity stripe in any of Cleveland’s nine contests.
For perspective, he attempted 5.8 shots from the line per game a season ago.
Mitchell will try to earn himself trips to the free-throw line with greater regularity in the Cavaliers’ upcoming game against the Golden State Warriors on Friday. The Warriors just recently earned a win over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.
