Donovan Mitchell Says Cavaliers Deserve The Heat After Multiple Playoff Failures
· Yahoo Sports
In the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks are the team to beat. As the reigning NBA champions with a stacked roster, all eyes will be on the Orange and Blue as they attempt to become the first back-to-back title winners since the Golden State Warriors in 2018.
On paper, the Cleveland Cavaliers have all the tools they need to usurp the Knicks and make history with an NBA Finals run of their own, but critics are not sold on the idea of them going all the way after repeated playoff failures. For Cavs star Donovan Mitchell, the sentiment of doubt is understandable given his team’s history of collapse when the stakes are highest.
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“We got swept. We deserve the criticism that comes with that. That’s warranted,” said Mitchell on the ‘Cousins’ podcast with Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter. “We went to 2 Game 7s when we should’ve closed both teams out in 6. We didn’t take care of business. If we had taken care of Detroit at home and not lost by 20, then we would have four days off heading into the next series, but we didn’t take care of business. That’s kind of where you look inward and be like, ‘forget the sweep, let’s talk before that. We should have handled business before that.’ That’s no disrespect to Toronto or Detroit, but we were in a position to win it and didn’t handle our business.”
Before the 2026 playoffs, the Cavaliers had won 64 games led by the combined talents of Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. They looked like a budding dynasty in the East, only to collapse in the second round to a Pacers team that bullied them for the entire series.
That defeat set up Darius Garland’s departure the following season, which brought James Harden to Cleveland as the new star point guard. He and Mitchell played well together in 2025-26 and went as far as the Conference Finals before getting absolutely obliterated. His team was swept in an embarrassing fashion by the New York Knicks, ending their season with a crushing blow that Mitchell still thinks about today.
What makes it so tough is that the Cavaliers could have helped their chances by closing out their previous series earlier. In the first two rounds, they had to fight all the way to seven games, wearing them down for their fight against the Knicks. The results were exactly what you’d expect, and Mitchell blames himself for not handling business.
Naturally, in the aftermath of so many disappointing seasons, he understands why fans have lost all faith in the Cavaliers. Even after adding Peyton Watson this summer, many are just not convinced they have what it takes to succeed under pressure, especially against teams like the Knicks, 76ers, and the Heat.
That’s why Mitchell is determined to change the narrative by taking his team farther than they’ve been since LeBron James‘ departure. With averages of 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game last season, we know Mitchell has the game to lead the Cavaliers to glory, but he can’t expect anyone to believe they are ready to win it all.