The Cleveland Cavaliers chose the absolute worst time to regress.
They’ve dropped four games in a row for the first time all season, and some of those losses haven’t been pretty at all.
This was the case with their game against the Phoenix Suns, and it’s particularly true with Donovan Mitchell.
Following the setback, the former Utah Jazz star took the blame for it:
“Put this on me,” Mitchell said pointedly following the 123-112 loss to the Phoenix Suns. “When your leader ain’t doing (expletive), this is what happens. If I’m not being who I need to be then we’re not going to get to where we want to get to. So, until that happens — and it will — yeah, if you’re looking for where to point, it’s right here.”
It’s hard to disagree with Mitchell here.
He finished the game with just seven points on 2 of 18 from the floor.
That includes missing all of his eight three-point attempts.
Mitchell hasn’t looked like his usual self lately, especially late in games, and that’s obviously a massive issue for Kenny Atkinson’s team.
They’ve been able to get by without him or when he hasn’t been at his best for most of the season, but this is still not a good sign.
The Cavs no longer control their own destiny to get homecourt advantage through the NBA Finals, and while they’re still more than likely to be the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, this is still a negative trend.
You never want to enter the playoffs in a slump.
It’s not good for morale, and giving other teams a blueprint to beat you isn’t a recipe for success.
Coach Atkinson, Mitchell, and the whole team will have to take a deep look in the mirror and go back to what worked out for them earlier in the campaign.
Otherwise, this once-promising season could turn out to be another nightmare.
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