Getty Donovan Mitchell of the Cavaliers.
The Cleveland Cavaliers provided an update on the status of injured All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell on March 4, stating that he received an injection in his injured right knee and will miss the team’s next three games before being re-evaluated.
Mitchell will now be out for at least Cleveland’s matchups with the Boston Celtics on March 5, the Atlanta Hawks on March 6, and the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 8.
The injury, which is being called a left knee bone bruise, kept Mitchell sidelined for the Cavaliers’ March 3 matchup with the New York Knicks, a game they lost 107-98.
Mitchell has been fantastic for the Cavs this season, averaging 28 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.2 assists, per game.
The Cavs currently sit at 39-21, third in the Eastern Conference.
D-Mitch’s Play, Award Outlook
While Mitchell has been fantastic all season, his strong play in January catapulted the Cavaliers to an 11-2 record and into the contenders conversation. However, the team has struggled lately: they are 3-4 over the seven games between February 22 and March 3, and losing Mitchell for an extended period of time will certainly not help.
One of the areas where Mitchell thrives most, and will be missed most, is in transition, where he is one of the league’s best scorers. During the 2023-2024 season, out of players who average at least five transition possessions per game, Mitchell leads the league with 1.35 points per possession (PPP).
Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff gave Mitchell an endorsement for MVP, telling ClutchPoints in late February, “He should be an MVP candidate because of his impact on winning at a high level. To me, that’s what the MVP should be about. It’s guys who impact winning at the highest level. And how do you argue that’s not him? It’s not that difficult.”
The loss of Mitchell will not only impact the Cavs, but it could impact his chances of being included in those MVP discussions, or even of making an All-NBA team this year.
The NBA’s new 65-game rule requires that players to play in at least 65 games in order to qualify for end of season awards like Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year and All-NBA honors. Including the three upcoming games that Mitchell is scheduled to miss, he will have missed a total of 16 games this year. To meet the 65-game rule, a player can’t miss more than 17 games, meaning Mitchell will have to appear in nearly every game for the rest of the season in order to qualify.
Outlook on Rest of Season
The Cavaliers have 22 games remaining on their schedule, and the majority of them will not be easy. According to Tankathon, the Cavaliers have the 10th hardest schedule for the remainder of the season, during which they will face opponents with a combined winning percentage of .517.
If they are to hold on to their spot as the third seed in the east, it will be critical that Mitchell does not miss an extended period of time. The earliest possible game that Mitchell could return will be on March 10, when the Cavs face off against the Brooklyn Nets.
Mitchell has one more year left on his contract, and a deep playoff run may be critical for Cleveland’s hopes of retaining him long term.