Cavs' Donovan Mitchell knows what's at stake in this year's playoffs

INDEPENDENCE — Donovan Mitchell knows what time it is. "It's that time of year," he said recently. The Cavaliers shooting guard had a tremendous regular season but knows he'll be judged on how far his team goes in the postseason. He's never advanced out of the second round of the playoffs. Cleveland will host the Toronto Raptors in a best-of-seven series that starts at 1 p.m. Saturday at Rocket Arena. After the Cavs acquired point guard James Harden at the trade deadline, things changed for Mitchell. Harden's presence takes a lot of pressure off Mitchell. "A lot was asked of me early in the season," he said. "(Having Harden, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley) it allows me to be more aggressive. Now, the kickouts come. Now, the double teams come. All those things make everyone else's life easier. I'm just trying to be aggressive in any way possible." The Cavs started the season with point guard Darius Garland sidelined with a toe injury. Mitchell was asked to run the point and score a lot of points. Things have changed with Harden, who has the ball in his hands most of the time. Mitchell averaged 27.9 points (7th in the NBA), 4.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists. He shot .483 from the field, .364 from the 3-point line and .865 from the foul line in 70 games. He scored 30 or more points a career-high 34 times, with the Cavs 25-9 in those games. Only three players in the league recorded more 30-point games — Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić with 44, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 43 and Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown with 35. Mitchell's 1,952 points this season are a career high. He also averaged 15.9 points in the second halves, which led the NBA. Mitchell tied for ninth in the league with 200 3-pointers. He recorded his 200th game with 20 or more points, and only four other players have done that in franchise history (LeBron James, Brad Daugherty, Kyrie Irving, Austin Carr). "No one takes ownership more than Don," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. "He's in a really good place." The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Mitchell said Cleveland's playoff readiness is high. "We've never wavered," he said. "No offense to (the media), but you've wavered on us a few times this season. As talented as the guys are that came in, you still have that chemistry and that bond. That takes time. "You're starting to see guys identifying their roles. You have a lot of playoff experience in this locker room. I've always said, I'm very confident in this group." Mitchell, 29, said on paper the Cavs look like an NBA Finals team. "But that doesn't mean anything," he said. "You have to execute (on the court)." Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.