Donovan Mitchell believes he is in an unfinished business this summer.
Donovan Mitchell failed to reach the final of the conference once more. The All-Star shooting guard saw his Cleveland Cavaliers get knocked out by the Indiana Pacers in the second round.
Mitchell had historic numbers against the Pacers, but it wasn’t enough to help the Cavs win. The rest of the teams were unable to step up and deliver.
And Mitchell did all this with long-term injuries caused by last year’s playoffs. His performance in Game 3 in particular made Kenny Atkinson acknowledge Spida’s greatness.
But there’s yet another playoff disappointment under his belt, so did Donovan Mitchell’s time for the Cavaliers end? What he said in his post-game comments shed some light on his plans for the future.
Read more: Donovan Mitchell reveals the key reasons for Game 2 losses and offers an update on the Cavaliers’ worry injuries.
At a postgame press conference, Donovan Mitchell lamented the Cavaliers’ performance in the series.
He admitted they were disappointed. However, Mitchell and the Cavs use the negative press around them as fuel and will return violently next year, suggesting he is not planning on leaving the team this summer.
“I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it. It’s hard to win this league. Give them credit. We didn’t do what we needed to.”
“I love playing in that f**** arena. Man. That energy and that crowd? Do you want 0-3 to crowd at home? We’ll drop off the city. This place is really special. It hurts.”
“We’re going to beat this way, everyone is going to write *** about us. It’s going to be fuel for everyone. That’s what we need. I was here. We understand. We need to use it as fuel for next year.”
“Yeah, I’m going to write f*** off to us. But we’re coming back. We’re letting down the city and letting each other down, but we’re coming back. Everyone writes down us. That’s not personal.
Read more: NBA fans agree all about Donovan Mitchell’s injuries as the Pacers humiliate the Cavaliers in Game 4
From what he said, it appears Donovan Mitchell is planning his future with the Cleveland Cavaliers. But with yet another playoff disappointment under their belt, what can the Cavs do to overcome this hurdle?
Changing the roster may be a reliable answer for most people, but it’s not that simple. How can the Cavaliers justify taking away the roster, three All-Stars and the ruler DPoy, which had the second-best record in the NBA?
Even if they focus on supporting casting, players like De’andre Hunter, Max Struss and Ty Jerome have risen strong numbers this season.
Despite his awful performance against the Pacers, it would be hard to justify shooting a supporting cast. However, the championship team needs a bold move that the Cavs must consider.