The Cleveland Cavaliers will be shorthanded as they take on the team with the fewest wins in the league — the Indiana Pacers — on Tuesday evening. The team has ruled Donovan Mitchell out of the lineup.
His official injury designation is rest.
Mitchell has been one of the healthiest players on the team this season. He’s played in all but three games. They’re 1-2 without Mitchell. Their lone win game was on Nov. 12 against the Miami Heat.
Support us and Let ‘Em Know with Homage!
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Spida shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
The Cavs have gone as Mitchell has this season. They’re 8-1 when he scores 35 or more points and 1-6 when he plays and scores 21 or fewer. This has shown up in the on/off numbers as the Cavs are an absurd 14.9 points better per 100 possessions when Mitchell is on the court (97th percentile). Lineups without Mitchell have been outscored by 7.4 points per 100 possessions (20th percentile).
Mitchell is having his best statistical season. He’s averaging a career-high 29.8 points on .497/.388/.837 shooting splits. This has led to a career-best 59.1 effective field-goal percentage (90th percentile).
The Cavaliers might be without some of their other rotation players as well. Jarrett Allen (illness) and Dean Wade (knee) are listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game. Larry Nance Jr. (calf) and Max Strus (foot) are still out of the lineup.
Indiana will be without Tyrese Haliburton (calf), Isaiah Jackson (concussion), Bennedict Mathurin (thumb), and Obi Toppin (foot).
It makes sense that the Cavaliers would look to rest Mitchell against a team as bad as the Pacers. That said, the remaining rotation players will need to step up if the Cavs are going to get the win without Mitchell. We’ve seen the Cavaliers lose games like this already this season.
