Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers are only 17-14 after having the top record in the East last season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers had the best record in the Eastern Conference last season. They swept the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2025 playoffs and it appeared Donovan Mitchell and Co. would go on a deep playoff run.
However, the Indiana Pacers beat the Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs in five games.
Since Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton won't play this season and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum may not suit up either, Cleveland was everyone's preseason pick to win the East.
However, the Cavaliers are only 17-14. If the regular season ended today, the Wine and Gold would be in the NBA play-in tournament as the seventh seed.
In his latest diary entry for Andscape, Mitchell opened up about Cleveland's underwhelming start to the season.
“Mentally, we got to find it," Mitchell wrote. "We’re 29 games in. We’re not a playoff team right now. We’re not playing like it. We have the talent. We have the group, but we’re not playing like it. And that’s on the 15 of us. We have to find it collectively. It’s not on just one individual. There’s no other group. You just got to find it. And when I say ‘it,’ it can be some joy. It can be tactically. It can be spirit. It can be anything. But we’ve got it find it.
“But honestly, it is one of those things where it’s adversity. And you just got to ultimately go out there and say like, ‘Hey, I want to be able to push this and push through this.’ And that’s kind of where we’re at. We’re at that crossroad, right? And, you know, now it’s on us to go out there and say, ‘Hey, we want to change this. And I have no doubt we will.’ But that’s ultimately where we’re at.”
Mitchell is putting up stellar numbers. He's averaging 30.6 points per game while shooting 50.0% from the field, 38.8% from beyond the arc and 84.8% from the free-throw line.
Offense isn't the issue for the Cavaliers right now, as they are sixth in the NBA in points per game.
Cleveland can't stop anyone, as they are 20th in points per game allowed.
"When you’re in this position, it starts from within," Mitchell wrote. "Collectively, one through 15, we’ve got to find a way to do the little things really well, especially when guys are out. This can be all talk, but I think this is ultimately up for us to go out there and on a nightly basis, say, ‘Hey, you know, enough is enough,’ possession by possession. We’ve shown for us this process has been good. But now we just need it to carry over to our results."
Only time will tell if the Cavaliers can turn things around. The good news for Mitchell and his teammates is that there is still plenty of time left in the regular season.