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Donovan Mitchell wasn’t happy with his lack of trips to the line after having just two free-throw attempts in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Game 1 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
“I’m just not getting the calls,” Mitchell said afterward. “I don’t know why. I don’t flop, maybe that’s why. … It’s frustrating a little bit because I’m such a dynamic driver.”
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Mitchell is a dynamic driver, or at least, he has been. For various reasons, he hasn’t been able to showcase that this postseason.
Through eight playoff games, Mitchell is taking just 22% of his shots in the restricted area (40th percentile). For comparison, he attempted 24% of his shots there in the regular season (54th percentile) and 30% there last postseason (74th percentile).
That’s a dramatic drop, and one we saw come into play in Game 1 against Detroit.
Nine of Mitchell’s 19 shots came in the paint, but only one was in the restricted area.
Here’s a look at eight of his nine shot attempts in the paint (his field goal three minutes into the game isn’t available on nba.com). In six of the eight attempts below, you’ll notice that he either shies away from contact or quickly gets the shot up before contact can be made with defender. That’s why most of these come in the five to 10-foot range, and not at the rim itself.
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You can get to the line without getting to the rim. James Harden did an excellent job of this in Game 1 as he had nine free-throw attempts. But you still have to be intentional about how you attack for that to happen. Harden, even though he’s lost a step, isn’t afraid to initiate contact and be the aggressor. That, more than anything, is why he’s consistently gotten to the line throughout his career.
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Not getting to the rim or basket is also reflective of the Cavs’ lack of spacing overall. Cleveland’s defense needs the trio of Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen (or at…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cavs-aren-t-going-anywhere-113000720.html
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Publish date : 2026-05-07 11:30:00
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