{"id":767721,"date":"2022-12-07T14:47:44","date_gmt":"2022-12-07T19:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?p=767721"},"modified":"2022-12-07T14:47:48","modified_gmt":"2022-12-07T19:47:48","slug":"donovan-mitchell-sends-message-lakers-nba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/news\/nba\/donovan-mitchell-sends-message-lakers-nba\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;GO THE F HOME&#8217;: Donovan Mitchell&#8217;s Dominance Sends a Message to the Lakers (and the NBA)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?s=Donovan+Mitchell+\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?s=Donovan+Mitchell+\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Donovan Mitchell\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> arrival in Cleveland has propelled the Cavaliers to becoming one of the most dominant teams in the NBA right now. After sinking the Lakers, 116-102, with a clutch triple over <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?s=Matt+Reaves+\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?s=Matt+Reaves+\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Matt Reaves\u2019<\/strong><\/a> extended hand, the Cavs are 16-9 and third in the Eastern Conference, locked squarely into the Eastern Conference Finals picture as they elevate next to title threats like the League-leading Boston Celtics and 2021 champion Milwaukee Bucks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s Mitchell,\u201d LeBron James said, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/africa.espn.com\/nba\/recap\/_\/gameId\/401468515\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/africa.espn.com\/nba\/recap\/_\/gameId\/401468515\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">per ESPN<\/a><\/strong>. \u201cHe\u2019s a special kid.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"zxx\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0lHc7ZjOtw\">pic.twitter.com\/0lHc7ZjOtw<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cavs\/status\/1600517570548977664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 7, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Last season, Cleveland rose to playoff contention thanks to their <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/the-magazine\/jarrett-allen-all-star-vol-2\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/the-magazine\/jarrett-allen-all-star-vol-2\/\" target=\"_blank\">top-10 defense<\/a> and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/the-magazine\/darius-garland-slam-all-star-vol-2\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/the-magazine\/darius-garland-slam-all-star-vol-2\/\" target=\"_blank\">All-Star play<\/a> of <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?s=Darius+Garland\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?s=Darius+Garland\" target=\"_blank\">Darius Garland<\/a> and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?s=Jarrett+Allen\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?s=Jarrett+Allen\" target=\"_blank\">Jarrett Allen<\/a>, but mid-season injuries led to Cleveland collapsing and finishing the season looking to win the play-in tournament to make the postseason. However, the Cavs lost to the Nets in the first play-in game, and then their season was ended by Atlanta Hawks shortly after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Cavs went into the offseason knowing they had a recipe for success with their stifling defense and All-Star play, as well as the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/nba\/evan-mobleys-teammates-are-impressed-with-his-development-in-year-two\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/nba\/evan-mobleys-teammates-are-impressed-with-his-development-in-year-two\/\" target=\"_blank\">emerging talent<\/a> of second-year big man <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?s=Evan+Mobley\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?s=Evan+Mobley\" target=\"_blank\">Evan Mobley<\/a>. When<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/nba\/jazz-ceo-danny-ainge-on-offseason-moves-we-needed-to-transition-our-roster\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/nba\/jazz-ceo-danny-ainge-on-offseason-moves-we-needed-to-transition-our-roster\/\" target=\"_blank\"> the rebuilding Utah Jazz<\/a> made <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/nba\/report-trading-price-for-donovan-mitchell-appears-to-be-steep\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/nba\/report-trading-price-for-donovan-mitchell-appears-to-be-steep\/\" target=\"_blank\">Mitchell available via trade<\/a>, Cleveland <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/nba\/donovan-mitchell-thought-for-sure-jazz-would-trade-him-to-knicks\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/nba\/donovan-mitchell-thought-for-sure-jazz-would-trade-him-to-knicks\/\" target=\"_blank\">swooped in as a partner<\/a> and has greatly <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/nba\/report-cavaliers-acquire-donovan-mitchell-in-a-blockbuster-trade\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/nba\/report-cavaliers-acquire-donovan-mitchell-in-a-blockbuster-trade\/\" target=\"_blank\">benefitted from the transaction<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cl2oHXvtHgM\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cl2oHXvtHgM\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by SLAM (@slam)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Mitchell has embraced becoming a key leader on this young team and his role as THE featured scorer on a team looking to take the next step. This season, he\u2019s averaging 29.0 points. 4.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game on 49.6 percent shooting from the field and 42.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Cavs rank in the top 10 in offense (113.2 offensive rating) and are the No. 1 defensive team in the League (106.6 defensive rating).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think I fit in because I filled a void,\u201d Mitchell said last week after Cleveland played Orlando, per <a href=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/3969551\/2022\/12\/05\/donovan-mitchell-cavaliers-knicks-new-york\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/3969551\/2022\/12\/05\/donovan-mitchell-cavaliers-knicks-new-york\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Athletic<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s what was needed. Darius in the backcourt did a lot last year, I\u2019ve been saying that, and did it phenomenally well, but just kind of being in the game on the other side of the backcourt, making life easy for him and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a comfortability thing coming into that situation, and then (coach) J.B. (Bickerstaff) going out and saying, \u2018Be yourself.\u2019 When you have the full support of your teammates and your coaches, it goes a long way. When a team trades for you, that means they see value in you and what you can possibly do. Just doing that on a nightly basis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Cavs also embrace their \u201cLet \u2019em Know\u201d team motto and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/nba\/cleveland-cavaliers-buying-into-underdog-mentality-junkyard-dog-chain\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/nba\/cleveland-cavaliers-buying-into-underdog-mentality-junkyard-dog-chain\/\" target=\"_blank\">Junkyard Dog chain<\/a> confidence, giving the three-time All-Star the chain after he dropped 43 points to help the Cavs beat the Lakers on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a guy that you can depend on in the thick of it, which isn\u2019t always easy, and not everybody wants it, but he gives confidence to everybody on the floor because they believe in him, and they know that he\u2019s capable of it, but he doesn\u2019t do it in a way that takes away from other people,\u201d Bickerstaff said, per <a href=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/3977957\/2022\/12\/07\/donovan-mitchell-cavs-lebron-james\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/theathletic.com\/3977957\/2022\/12\/07\/donovan-mitchell-cavs-lebron-james\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Athletic<\/a>. \u201cHe empowers his teammates around him. He shares the ball. He\u2019s not coming down just every possession and it\u2019s just about him. He comes down, and the possession is about what\u2019s the best shot available. If that\u2019s a pass because they double-team him, he makes the pass; if it\u2019s his shot, he takes his shot; if it\u2019s attack and drop off to the big, he makes that play. To be honest with you, it\u2019s unique in that, in his ability to take and make big shots, but to empower his teammates at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"zxx\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ENydzrIjnr\">pic.twitter.com\/ENydzrIjnr<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cavs\/status\/1600328547310002178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 7, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Mitchell is becoming an MVP candidate with the third-best record in the East while leading this young and fun Cleveland team to prominence. Spida seems to be enjoying the vibes his Cavs teammates have bought, and his resulting play is all the proof they need to know they\u2019re doing something right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It remains to be seen how far Mitchell can lead Cleveland after all, he\u2019s only won a playoff series three times in his career, and he\u2019s gone one-and-done in the playoffs just as many times. Not to mention that Mitchell is a proven playoff killer, averaging 28.3 points per game on 43.1 percent shooting during his postseason career.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Donovan Mitchell\u2019s arrival in Cleveland has propelled the Cavaliers to becoming one of the most dominant teams in the NBA right now. After sinking the Lakers, 116-102, with a clutch triple over Matt Reaves\u2019 extended hand, the Cavs are 16-9 and third in the Eastern Conference, locked squarely into the Eastern Conference Finals picture as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":447,"featured_media":767787,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62698,18,63826,62493],"tags":[64817,13006,36492,9617,60581],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-767721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cleveland-cavaliers","category-nba","category-news","category-newswire","tag-championship-contenders","tag-cleveland-cavaliers","tag-darius-garland","tag-donovan-mitchell","tag-evan-mobley"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/447"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=767721"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767721\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":767796,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/767721\/revisions\/767796"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/767787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=767721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=767721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=767721"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=767721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}