Donovan Mitchell scored 39 points on 11-of-27 shooting to help the Cavaliers win the tiebreaker against the Magic, and the Cavaliers finally crossed the first round of the playoffs after LeBron James left. The media didn't think it was cool enough to say that, so one media wrote, "This is the first playoff series win for the Cavaliers since 2018, and the first time since 1993 that the Cavaliers have won a series without LeBron James on the roster." ”
After LeBron James left the Cavaliers, the Cavaliers' rebuilding efforts have not been slow, especially the big gamble on Donovan Mitchell in 2022, making the Cavaliers a force to be reckoned with in the East. The reason why it is said to be a "big gamble" is because the Cavaliers paid multiple first-round picks including Colin Sexton and Laurie Markkanen in order to get Donovan Mitchell, which is equivalent to betting on the fortunes of the next few years.
Is it worth it?
Donovan Mitchell isn't yet considered a superstar, but his performance in the playoffs has been there for all to see. In his rookie season, he scored 22 points in a single quarter against the Thunder, led by Paul George and Russell Westbrook, and helped the Jazz eliminate the Thunder, and the Thunder's two star players praised Donovan Mitchell. Later, against the Nuggets, there were many 50+ performances in a single series, but the Jazz team at that time failed to go further.
The Cavaliers gambled heavily on Donovan Mitchell but didn't live up to expectations, and last season the team was eliminated in the first round by the Knicks, which was not an outcome that the Cavaliers could accept. And this season, the Cavaliers are once again standing on the edge of the cliff, and Donovan Mitchell G6 finally let the team get out of danger in seven games after scoring 50 points in the first game and failing to let the team get out of danger. These two games were tough enough to redeem the sluggish performance of G3 and G4.
And that performance also won over fans and the media, with Cavaliers reporter Ben Axelord writing on social media: "I would insist that Donovan Mitchell is the second-best player in Cavaliers history. ”
The best player in the history of the Cavaliers, but it's LeBron James.
If a player wants to be respected, he has to talk about his performance, and if Donovan Mitchell can't make a difference, he will probably be ridiculed and questioned by the outside world, "The Cavaliers traded him for a mistake, and his performance is sorry for the Cavaliers." But when it broke out in a crucial game that decided the fate of the team, Donovan Mitchell received countless applause and cheers.
There were even suggestions that the Lakers rush to trade Donovan Mitchell.
Former NBA player Nick Young shouted to his old club Lakers on social media, "Lakers, except for Anthony Davis and LeBron James, give up all your resources to trade for Donovan Mitchell, so you can definitely win the championship." ”
In fact, it's never uncommon for players to have trade rumors with the Lakers, and there are even more speculations like this that don't even count as rumors. In a sense, Donovan Mitchell's two games have re-made the league realize how good he is, and it is necessary for the Cavaliers to find a way to re-sign him early.
(Text/Yan Wuqiang)