The Cleveland Cavaliers have won three straight games now against the Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons, and Denver Nuggets.
That’s a strong run, their first three-win streak of the season, and it has mostly been done without star player Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell has sat out of the last two games due to a hamstring strain.
One fan on Twitter showed their frustration about this, asking Cavaliers insider Chris Fedor if Mitchell even wants to play for the team anymore.
Fedor responded:
“I get the frustration. But he is hurt. He isn’t just “resting.” He walked off the court early against Portland and received treatment in the locker room afterward. You don’t ever want to mess with hamstrings, especially this early in the season, with bigger goals in mind.”
I get the frustration. But he is hurt. He isn't just "resting." He walked off the court early against Portland and received treatment in the locker room afterward. You don't ever want to mess with hamstrings, especially this early in the season, with bigger goals in mind. https://t.co/Jz58SzDAiK
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) November 21, 2023
Mitchell isn’t expected to participate in Tuesday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, which is a big blow to the Cavaliers, who are hoping to score an important In-Season Tournament win.
It is understandable that fans would be upset to lose Mitchell, especially because he has been having yet another great season.
He has scored 29.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game so far in 2023–24, which are statistically the strongest numbers of his career.
It is hard to know that the team is missing out on that output because of this injury.
But Fedor has a very good point: Mitchell wants to avoid a situation that will keep him on the sidelines for an extended amount of time.
The Cavaliers are planning to again earn their way into the playoffs, with better results than last year.
If that is going to happen, they will need Mitchell to be strong and in good health.
That means that these injuries, no matter how minor they seem to fan, need to be taken seriously.
Leave a Reply