The Cavaliers All-Star reflects on the team’s 64-win season, emphasizing team growth, continuity, and the impact of success on everyone within the organization.
Last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers did something that even the LeBron James-led championship-winning squad from 2015-16 wasn’t able to do — win 60 games. And while they weren’t able to top the franchise record of 66 wins set by James and Co. in the 2008-09 season, Cleveland’s 64-18 record was three games ahead of the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference and trailed only the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, the team was unable to capitalize on its strong season, falling to Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. The team’s leading scorer, Donovan Mitchell, knows just how important it is to be playing during this time of year.
“You play in May and June, everything takes care of itself,” he said on the latest episode of Network with Rich Kleiman.
Unfortunately for Mitchell, second-round exits have been a theme of his playing career dating back to his Utah Jazz days. But even with the coaching staff seemingly playing a game of musical chairs during his time in Cleveland, he believes the continuity and familiarity of the team’s roster will eventually push them over the edge and, in turn, change everything.
“This isn’t just a Donovan thing. We, as a group, we all get there, everybody’s life change,” Mitchell said. “We had the best record in the league, and we’ve lost like six coaches. Six coaches have gotten promotions or better jobs, or they left to go to different or better opportunities and whatnot. … Now, imagine if we continue to take that step, and that’s ultimately a sign of progress. When you doing that, everybody eats.”
Be sure to catch the full conversation at Boardroom’s YouTube channel here as well as on Yahoo Sports’ podcast pages on Apple and Spotify.
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