5:25pm: Mitchell is out for Game 5, the team announced (Twitter link via Cavs sideline reporter Serena Winters). As we relayed in a separate story, LeVert and Allen are out as well.
10:51am: Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell is expected to miss Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday in Boston, sources tell Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Mitchell, who was unavailable for Game 4 due to a left calf strain, had been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s contest, which is a do-or-die game for a Cavs team trailing the Celtics 3-1 in the series. The All-Star guard admitted on Monday that his availability for Game 5 was very much up in the air.
Two other key Cleveland players are also listed as questionable: starting center Jarrett Allen (right rib contusion) and sixth man turned starter Caris LeVert (left knee bone bruise). None of the three players were on the floor when reporters were let into the Cavs’ shootaround on Wednesday morning, though Mitchell and LeVert did later come onto the court, notes Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter links).
Allen has missed seven straight playoff games as a result of his rib injury, while LeVert reportedly aggravated his knee issue in Game 4, which he started in Mitchell’s place.
Barring some last-minute good news on Mitchell’s status – or a big-time upset on Wednesday by a Cleveland team listed as a 16-point underdog – there’s a chance the 27-year-old has played his last game as a Cavalier. He’ll enter a potential contract year this offseason and if he doesn’t sign an extension, the Cavs will have a major decision to make on his future, with rival teams already said to be preparing their trade offers.
Damn it. We got effed sideways and lubeless by injuries this year. Never fully healthy for any significant stretch, and several guys played through lasting injuries as well. Just sucks that this is how the season potentially ends.
I feel for you and all Cavs fans. They put together a nice team with the Twin Towers and pick up Mitchell in a trade to make this happen and then some important guys are not available. It hurts knowing the potential was there.
Celtics fans are all-too-familiar with this, as well. It’s no fun. It feels like the team was playing well enough when healthy to be able to extend Mitchell.
Don’t feel bad for losing to this year’s Celtics, though: they’re going all the way.
Oh it’s over for them
Probably already played last game with the Cavs, but wondering if Lebron returns do they even have enough money to sign him and Mitchell?
They’d have to trade Garland to make it work, but yeah, probably.
The Cavs should trade Garland anyway. I do like Garland but he is the lesser talent. He and Mitchell both need the ball to make the most impact offensively and both are too small to be effective defensively. Look at Portland when they had McCollum and Lillard. They waited way to long to trade CJ and it held the team back for years.
Depends utterly on whether Mitchell is willing to stay. If he does, sure. Trade him for a proper wing upgrade and move Mitchell to Point. But if he leaves, trading Garland would just set the Cavs back.
I said it at the beginning of the year. This team isn’t built for the playoffs. The loss of Allen makes this roster very thin with the bigs.
Gentleman’s sweep
CLE will be a true contender only when Mobley becomes a true 2 way star. I’ve believed that since the Mitchell trade, and also believed it was inevitable (I was and am very bullish on this player’s ability). Now, though, I’m beginning to wonder if they don’t need to be more proactive in speeding up his ascension.
I liked that they ran it back last year. But think it would be a mistake to do the same this year to next. Whether Mitchell wants out or not, they need to do a quasi-reset the top of the roster. I would prefer not to bring back both Mitchell and Garland. Obviously, it would be better to bring back Mitchell. But if he wants out, I wouldn’t spend 10 seconds trying to change his mind. Just move forward. Every move they make should at least permit, and ideally faciliate, a significantly greater offensive role for Mobley.