CLEVELAND, Ohio — Donovan Mitchell’s postgame comments following the Cavs’ stunning 99-94 loss to a severely depleted Golden State Warriors team weren’t just the usual platitudes about being better or moving on.

According to the latest Wine and Gold Talk podcast, they revealed something far more concerning: a star player growing increasingly alarmed about his team’s fundamental approach.

“It’s quite clear to me that Donovan is starting to get pretty concerned about the habits that this team is developing, just not seeing the kinds of habits that he wants to see,” cleveland.com beat reporter Chris Fedor explained on the podcast.

What makes Mitchell’s concern particularly noteworthy is how it echoes issues from his past.

Fedor highlighted the guard’s specific choice of words about the team trying to “flip the switch” as especially revealing: “And I think to hear Donovan Mitchell use the term flipping the switch, saying, quote, ‘there’s no switch to flip. Until there’s a change in that, we’re going to keep being in these positions.’ That, to me, was pretty telling about what he sees from this basketball team and a concern that he has with this basketball team.”

For listeners familiar with Mitchell’s career trajectory, those comments carry extra weight.

“That brought me back to the Donovan Mitchell days of past in Utah,” Fedor noted, referencing Mitchell’s previous team that repeatedly fell short in the playoffs despite regular-season success.

The podcast delved into what appears to be a dangerous mindset developing within the Cavaliers locker room — one that Mitchell recognizes from past disappointments.

“It feels like the Cavs have gotten to a point, mentally this is a bad place to be because they haven’t earned this. They have gotten to a place mentally where they feel like they can out talent teams, that they don’t have to do the little things that they don’t have to follow the scouting report, that they don’t have to pay attention to details.” Fedor explained.

This concerning attitude appears particularly premature for a Cleveland team that, while talented, hasn’t accomplished anything significant in the postseason.

Last year’s squad won 64 games and reached the second round but was thoroughly outclassed by the Indiana Pacers when it mattered most.

The podcast discussion pointed to a fundamental disconnect between the Cavaliers’ championship aspirations and their current approach. Mitchell’s comments suggest the team is trying to take shortcuts to success rather than building the solid foundation of habits that characterize true contenders.

“There are other talented teams across the NBA. There are other teams that have a bunch of All-Stars, right? So talent for talent. Yeah, the Cavs can match up with a lot of them, but what are the other things that you can do to separate yourself?” Fedor questioned. “And the Cavs have to dig deep and find those kinds of things, and they need to dig deep and find those things on a more consistent basis.”

As the Cavaliers head into a five-day break sitting at a disappointing 14-11, Mitchell’s warning serves as both a challenge and an opportunity.

The team that emerged from last season with such promise has now lost 11 games before mid-December — a mark last year’s squad didn’t hit until mid-March.

What makes Mitchell’s concern particularly notable is that, as podcast host Ethan Sands observed, he’s typically “elite at giving structured answers that go in-depth” during postgame interviews. After the Warriors loss, Mitchell was uncharacteristically brief, seemingly “tired of being in that funk.”

The question now becomes whether Mitchell’s alarm will serve as a wake-up call for a team with championship aspirations but increasingly questionable habits. With the season approaching its midpoint, time is running out for the Cavaliers to develop the consistent approach that separates true contenders from pretenders.

Want to hear Mitchell’s full comments and more detailed analysis? Listen to the complete Wine and Gold Talk podcast for the unfiltered breakdown of the Cavaliers’ concerning habits and what needs to change.

Here’s the podcast for this week: