Cleveland Cavaliers star Mitchell makes his debut for his new team

 

Philadelphia, Less than five weeks after being acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers in a blockbuster trade in an NBA frenzy offseason, Donovan Mitchell made his debut for the Cavaliers on Wednesday in Cleveland’s preseason opener.

 

And, after scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting (including 3-for-4 from the field), Mitch had five assists in 19 mins in a 113-112 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Earl admits it took some getting used to wearing a different jersey than the Utah Jazz he had been wearing for the first five years of his career.

 

“One hundred percent,” Mitchell laughs when asked if it feels weird to wear a different jersey for the first time. “It just doesn’t feel real…it hasn’t hit me yet.”

 

Mitchell said he spent four seasons looking out of the window above downtown Philadelphia on Monday, and it wasn’t until then that he sank in, as he was about to play for another team for the first time.

 

“Today, I was sitting there, and there was a moment where you were sitting there looking out and seeing everything and being like, ‘Wow. It’s here,”

 

“Once you’re on the court, basketball is basketball. But all the little things, it’s got to be weird. A little bit different. But I’m excited. It’s going in the direction I imagined it was, in a good way.”

 

Mitchell came to Cleveland, added a burgeoning young core that included All-Stars Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and was a runner-up to last season’s Rookie of the Year award in Evan Mobley. Let the Cavaliers hope this season’s fortunes will rise to where the team hasn’t seen in decades when LeBron James isn’t in town.

 

The last time Cleveland Cavaliers made the playoffs without James? 1997-98 season. When was the latest Cleveland Cavaliers won a playoff series without him? Thirty years ago, in the 1992-93 season, Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by Michael Jordan and the Bulls in four games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

 

Especially in arguably the most profound version of the Eastern Conference in a generation or more, Cleveland first needs to put its two-point guards, Mitchell and Garland, on the same page. A location on the page.

 

Ahead of Wednesday night’s game, Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff laid out criteria for showing that this process was happening and said the focus is on avoiding “your turn, my turn” basketball.

 

Afterward, he, Garland, and Mitchell were all pleased with how they came together in their first tryout with another team.

 

“I think it’s pretty seamless,” Bickerstaff said. “The way they play together, the way the ball moves, everyone is involved… As long as we play in the style, we want, not just based on one person, but on the team, I think it will go well for us.”

 

And, in most cases, it happened Wednesday night. Mitchell’s first goal for the Cavaliers, a 3-pointer from the right wing, came with an assist from Garland, who had 12 points and four assists on 4-of-7 shooting in 15 minutes and was clipped. Kevin Love took a pair of 3-pointers of his own between Mitchell setups.

 

“Mitchell said, He thinks we have done a great job in many things.” “You walk on the floor, and you’re like, ‘He gets it.’ But that’s not to say, ‘He’s isolated.’ “Like, he got it, play, creates… I said we didn’t play a lot in the first half. That speaks to our ball movement.”

 

“I think it’s space for me,” Garland said when asked what he noticed most while playing next to Mitchell. “Just getting out of the pick-and-roll, there’s a lot of threat on the opposite side, and it’s a lot easier … you can choose your poison. You have to live with it.

 

“Honestly, it was fun there.”

 

While Cleveland waits to get Evan Mobley back on the court following a sprained ankle over the weekend, the Cavaliers have another decision to make between now and Opening Night: Who will join Garland, Mitchell, Mobley, and Allen?

 

There are several possible options, including Caris LeVert, who started Wednesday’s game. Dean Wade, who made three 3-pointers off the bench, and Isaac Okko, the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Luo. Bickerstaff said his ultimate decision on who plugs in there would depend on how they help unleash the best attributes of the surrounding four stars.

 

“It’s going to be a true fit. It’s going to be who makes the four better,” “Who helps them on offense? Who helps them on defense? Who can protect players on defense in certain situations? How does it help our game? Offensive, how does it help our open space?” These are things we are thinking about. “

 

Cleveland Cavaliers star Mitchell makes his debut for his new team

 

Philadelphia, Less than five weeks after being acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers in a blockbuster trade in an NBA frenzy offseason, Donovan Mitchell made his debut for the Cavaliers on Wednesday in Cleveland’s preseason opener.

 

And, after scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting (including 3-for-4 from the field), Mitch had five assists in 19 mins in a 113-112 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Earl admits it took some getting used to wearing a different jersey than the Utah Jazz he had been wearing for the first five years of his career.

 

“One hundred percent,” Mitchell laughs when asked if it feels weird to wear a different jersey for the first time. “It just doesn’t feel real…it hasn’t hit me yet.”

 

Mitchell said he spent four seasons looking out of the window above downtown Philadelphia on Monday, and it wasn’t until then that he sank in, as he was about to play for another team for the first time.

 

“Today, I was sitting there, and there was a moment where you were sitting there looking out and seeing everything and being like, ‘Wow. It’s here,”

 

“Once you’re on the court, basketball is basketball. But all the little things, it’s got to be weird. A little bit different. But I’m excited. It’s going in the direction I imagined it was, in a good way.”

 

Mitchell came to Cleveland, added a burgeoning young core that included All-Stars Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and was a runner-up to last season’s Rookie of the Year award in Evan Mobley. Let the Cavaliers hope this season’s fortunes will rise to where the team hasn’t seen in decades when LeBron James isn’t in town.

 

The last time Cleveland Cavaliers made the playoffs without James? 1997-98 season. When was the latest Cleveland Cavaliers won a playoff series without him? Thirty years ago, in the 1992-93 season, Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by Michael Jordan and the Bulls in four games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

 

Especially in arguably the most profound version of the Eastern Conference in a generation or more, Cleveland first needs to put its two-point guards, Mitchell and Garland, on the same page. A location on the page.

 

Ahead of Wednesday night’s game, Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff laid out criteria for showing that this process was happening and said the focus is on avoiding “your turn, my turn” basketball.

 

Afterward, he, Garland, and Mitchell were all pleased with how they came together in their first tryout with another team.

 

“I think it’s pretty seamless,” Bickerstaff said. “The way they play together, the way the ball moves, everyone is involved… As long as we play in the style, we want, not just based on one person, but on the team, I think it will go well for us.”

 

And, in most cases, it happened Wednesday night. Mitchell’s first goal for the Cavaliers, a 3-pointer from the right wing, came with an assist from Garland, who had 12 points and four assists on 4-of-7 shooting in 15 minutes and was clipped. Kevin Love took a pair of 3-pointers of his own between Mitchell setups.

 

“Mitchell said, He thinks we have done a great job in many things.” “You walk on the floor, and you’re like, ‘He gets it.’ But that’s not to say, ‘He’s isolated.’ “Like, he got it, play, creates… I said we didn’t play a lot in the first half. That speaks to our ball movement.”

 

“I think it’s space for me,” Garland said when asked what he noticed most while playing next to Mitchell. “Just getting out of the pick-and-roll, there’s a lot of threat on the opposite side, and it’s a lot easier … you can choose your poison. You have to live with it.

 

“Honestly, it was fun there.”

 

While Cleveland waits to get Evan Mobley back on the court following a sprained ankle over the weekend, the Cavaliers have another decision to make between now and Opening Night: Who will join Garland, Mitchell, Mobley, and Allen?

 

There are several possible options, including Caris LeVert, who started Wednesday’s game. Dean Wade, who made three 3-pointers off the bench, and Isaac Okko, the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Luo. Bickerstaff said his ultimate decision on who plugs in there would depend on how they help unleash the best attributes of the surrounding four stars.

 

“It’s going to be a true fit. It’s going to be who makes the four better,” “Who helps them on offense? Who helps them on defense? Who can protect players on defense in certain situations? How does it help our game? Offensive, how does it help our open space?” These are things we are thinking about. “