Donovan Mitchell needs to shoot more, not less

If you’ve been online recently, you may have noticed that Donovan Mitchell has… pissed off a lot of Cleveland Cavaliers fans.

Twitter is ablaze with criticism. People want him traded. Some regret that he was ever traded for. Mitchell has become the crux of all problems; the shot-chucking ‘dictator’ who will never be the primary option on a championship team.

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But everyone has it backwards; Donovan Mitchell needs to shoot more.

Mitchell’s field goal attempts and usage rate are at career lows to start the year.

His assist percentage and shot chart are nearly identical to previous seasons.

That means Mitchell has less control over the offense than ever, despite some insisting that he’s grown into a ball-dominant tyrant.

How did we get here? And why are fans feeling such a disconnect?

Mitchell has always been a scorer more than a passer. He currently ranks in the 41st percentile in assist-to-usage ratio — a stat that tracks how often a player is ending their possessions with an assist rather than a shot attempt or turnover.

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This means that roughly half of the league’s players are more likely to get an assist on any given possession than Donovan Mitchell. That can lead to games where it feels like Mitchell is hogging the ball while leaving his teammates hanging.

That gung-ho play style caused some frustration throughout last year’s playoffs, and the complaints have carried into this year.

Fans want to know why Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen aren’t getting the ball. Why do their leads disappear so often? And why haven’t the Cavs gotten over the hump despite a roaring regular season?

Some have identified Mitchell’s lack of playmaking as the problem.

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Which, in fairness, is certainly a factor. Cleveland has lost big games in the past due to Mitchell’s shot selection. He doesn’t always make the right decision with the ball in his hands — and that can be difficult to watch as a fan.

But we should reframe this discussion. Let’s start here.

Donovan Mitchell isn’t a point guard. And maybe, he doesn’t have to be.

Shai-Gilgeous Alexander was in the 29th percentile for assist-to-usage ratio when…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/donovan-mitchell-needs-shoot-more-202931641.html

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Publish date : 2026-11-06 20:29:00

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