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CLEVELAND — Veteran point guard Ricky Rubio’s first assist of the season was huge after signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer.
Cavaliers president of basketball operations Coby Altman reached out to Rubio about one of his former teammates who just got in touch. Rubio had a real chance of acquiring Donovan Mitchell, 26, with whom he shared the starting backcourt from 2017-2019 as a member of the Utah Jazz.
But a Mitchell trade would be very costly and could upset some of the good vibes the young Cavs built last season, doubling their win total from 22 to 44.
Still, Rubio didn’t hesitate to take his advice.
Rubio told Bleacher Report, “I said let’s do it. At the end of the day, I think it takes us to the next level. He’s the man every team needs to win a championship.” He’s the perfect type of player,” he told Bleacher Report. “I think he’s a good fit for this team.”
So far, Rubio’s advice to Altman has paid off.
Mitchell averaged 32.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals and shot 45.5% to lead the Cavaliers to a 5-1 start. Cleveland is beating opponents with 24.6 points per 100 possessions with Mitchell on the floor, and he looks better defensively than ever. glass cleaning.
Despite the massive roster change, the atmosphere at these Cavs is still very good.
“We didn’t have to compromise on character over Donovan’s talent,” said head coach JB Bickerstaff. “We had that information before the transaction was completed.”
What seemed like a long shot at first, the swing-for-the-fence deal ultimately sent shockwaves through the organization.
Darius Garland got a call from Altman telling him to take a workout break to run and scream around the gym. Kevin Love immediately texted Mitchell his message and within minutes made his FaceTime call to his new teammate. Jarrett Allen was taking a nap and after waking her up with a text that read nothing but “Donovan Mitchell,” she took to Twitter to get all the details.
Small-market teams like Cleveland rarely trade star players like Mitchell. The only reason the Cavaliers made such a big move last time was because a LeBron James recruit convinced Love to eventually re-sign in free agency the following year.
Now it’s up to Garland, Allen, and a cast of up-and-coming young stars, including second-year forward Evan Mobley, to make Mitchell feel at home.
Mitchell was quickly relegated to the number one role on offense as a Jazz rookie after Gordon Hayward left in free agency, but his role in Cleveland may have changed over time. be.
Garland just signed a five-year, up to $194.3 million extension this offseason and is the best point guard Mitchell has ever played with (no offense to Rubio). Mitchell’s addition also means Garland can return to his preferred style of play of pass-first. was forced to stop playing.
“I’ll add Donovan this year and take a few more shots, but that’s totally fine with me,” Garland told B/R. .
“I mean, last year they had to let me shoot. I have to tell you to go out and play ‘freedom,’ which is what I’m going to do.
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The Cavaliers’ plan is to always have either Garland or Mitchell on the floor, giving the team at least one elite offensive option.It should be a welcome break for the exited Mitchell Utilization rate 6th Last season (32.9%), he led the Jazz to the No. 1 offense in the NBA behind Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young and Ja Morant.
However, the larger aggressive workload didn’t always equate to Mitchell’s success in the Jazz.
Last season, Utah went 11-2 when Mitchell took 17 or fewer shots, but only 8-12 when he took 23 or more. Along with other bucket-getters like Garland, Caris LeVert, Love, Allen and Rubio (when returning from a torn ACL), this should be the least amount of offensive responsibility Mitchell has ever had. is.
“Yeah, it’s going to be fun,” Rubert told B/R as he, Mitchell, and Garland talked about being on the floor at the same time. Who will you put your weak defender on? Who will stop you from driving?”
That’s not even mentioning Mobley, Cleveland’s rookie sensation last season. Mitchell, Garland and Allen were All-Stars last year, but this Cavaliers team is built around his 21-year-old Mobley.
Ask anyone on the coaching staff or front office about Mobley’s future and the word “superstar” will come up. The term is no longer used to describe Mitchell, Garland, Allen, Sexton, or anyone else during the restructuring process that began in 2018.
Mobley averaged 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 blocks while shooting 50.8% overall as a rookie. His ability to defend the entire floor without fouling (last year he did 33.8 minutes per game and just 2.1) is unprecedented, especially for a player of his size and age. . An estimated plus/minus 2.3 in Mobley’s defense last season was 96th percentile Across the league, he is tied with players like Anthony Davis and Robert Williams III.
The Cavaliers see Mobley as a pillar on which to build their team. They believe he will one day win Defensive Player of the Year. While Mobley acknowledges his frequent comparisons to Kevin Garnett, he also notes that he tries to steal pieces from other seasoned heavyweights with similar frames.
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Cleveland isn’t trying to emulate Utah, surrounding Mitchell with spot-up shooters and defensive anchors, but leaving it all to Mitchell (although Allen looks a lot like Rudy Gobert). In this roster, Mitchell would eventually become Robin in Mobley’s Batman, a role that will continue to evolve as the seasons progress.
Mobley spent his first NBA offseason hitting threes, working on playmaking, and going strong. He’s a true seven-footer, but offensively plans to extend his game across the floor.
“You’re going to see me more on the perimeter this year,” Mobley said before the start of the season. Garland, on the other hand, stressed that “if Evan wants, he can bring it up and carry out an attack.”
Bickerstaff hopes Mitchell’s vocal prowess will be passed on to Mobley, who is one of the least-talking players in the league. The Cavaliers aim to turn the tall, skillful clay ball into a Dynamo who scores from all three levels and starts using his voice more.
Mitchell is currently fifth in the NBA in early scoring. “Give him the ball and he’ll always give you a bucket,” Rubio said.
However, as time passes, more and more aggressive focus shifts to Mobley.
Imagine a Minnesota Timberwolves version of Garnet surrounded by backcourts from Mitchell and Garland, elite rim protectors from Allen, and quality role players like Rubato, Love, Rubio, and Isaac Okoro. This is the path Cleveland has taken himself.
Letting go of three first-round picks, two pick swaps, and three high-upsiders in Sexton, Lauri Markkanen and Ochai Agbaj usually means teams pay saviors, not sidekicks. Compensation.
But the Cavaliers see the Mitchell trade as an investment. Cleveland may not be in contention for the title this season, but if Mobley reaches the level he feels this franchise is capable of, there will be no team brighter in the near future.
Fair or not, failing to get past the second round meant Mitchell ultimately failed as the first option despite regular season and playoff success in Utah. increase.
Now, alongside Mobley, Mitchell will begin a new chapter as the superstar sidekick. The Cavaliers hope the role will produce better results in the postseason.
