Cavs Regular Season Report Cards – Donovan Mitchell leads the way

The Cleveland Cavaliers finished the season 52-30 and have a first-round date with the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

Before we look ahead, let’s reflect on the regular season and hand out some report cards.

Advertisement

All grades are based on our expectations for each player before the season began.

Donovan Mitchell

27.9 points, 5.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals

It’s not a stretch to say this was maybe the best individual season of Mitchell’s career. He scored more points than ever (1,952 total) and the 10th most in a single season by a Cavalier ever. All on an efficient 56.3% effective field goal percentage (82nd percentile).

Mitchell carried the Cavs throughout the season. He had 15 games of 35+ points, in which the Cavaliers went 14-1. Just two of those performances came after the All-Star break, a testament to how vital Mitchell was to Cleveland staying afloat during their slow start to the season.

Advertisement

Some factors hold him back from the A+. This was the highest usage that Mitchell’s recorded since being in Cleveland. That’s because the Cavs needed him to carry a heavier load. Still, it’s not the idealized version of Mitchell. Things have always looked smoother when he’s paired with another lead ball-handler. We didn’t see that for most of the season — not that Mitchell had any control over that.

Partnered with his higher usage, I’d argue this was the worst defensive season Mitchell has had in Cleveland. The Cavs fell out of the top-10 defensively for the first time since 2021. Mitchell’s inconsistent effort on that end of the floor played a role.

Nevertheless, this was a special offensive season from Mitchell and one of the best in franchise history. I shudder to think of where this team would have finished without him.

Grade: A

James Harden

20.5 points, 7.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds

Advertisement

Trading for Harden was the shock of the season. We won’t re-litigate the trade today, as only the playoffs can tell us whether or not it was worth it. But as of typing — I find it hard to believe there’s anyone in Cleveland who isn’t bought in right now.

Harden won us over almost…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cavs-regular-season-report-cards-110000692.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-04-15 11:00:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.