Some fans felt like Donovan Mitchell did not look right on Friday in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ potential closeout game against the Toronto Raptors.
The Cavaliers were a couple of big shots away from eliminating the Raptors in Game 6 of their first-round series at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada. Mitchell has historically been a provider of such big shots, but that side of him was nowhere to be found down the stretch.
Mitchell had a hard time getting past his man, and fans were quick to point out his noticeable lack of burst. Some assumed Mitchell must have been dealing with an undisclosed injury that may have sapped some of his explosiveness.
it remains pretty concerning that Donovan Mitchell can’t seem to get by any Raptors defender off the dribble
— Jordan Zirm (@JordanZirm) May 2, 2026
I’m as frustrated with Donovan Mitchell as anyone, but he’s earned enough of the benefit of the doubt from me that I can only assume something physical is going on.
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) May 2, 2026
Something wrong with Donovan Mitchell?
— Nick Camino (@NickCaminoWKYC) May 2, 2026
Donovan Mitchell isn’t even 30 yet and literally cannot beat his man off the dribble
— 𝕱𝖊𝖗𝖗𝖊𝖙 𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖊𝖓 (@ferretallen) May 2, 2026
Mitchell still finished with 24 points, but it came on an inefficient 26-shot clip. Even more alarming was that he did not take a single free throw once, despite being one of the NBA’s best at getting to the line.
Given how physical the Raptors play on the defensive end, Mitchell should have had an easy time drawing contact and getting easy points at the foul line.
Even with Mitchell not at his best, the Cavaliers were just an RJ Barrett lucky bounce shot away from advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Cavaliers fans can take some solace in their team not being anywhere near the worst performer during Friday’s playoff slate. That honor firmly belongs to the Orlando Magic, who had arguably the worst second-half performance ever in a playoff game.
