CLEVELAND — Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said he expects Donovan Mitchell to fully practice this week in preparation for the NBA playoffs as the All-Star guard rehabilitates from a sprained left ankle.
Atkinson provided an update on Mitchell before the Cavs’ regular-season finale Sunday, April 13, against the Indiana Pacers.
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The Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed, the Cavs won’t practice Monday, Atkinson said, but they will conduct individual work Tuesday as they await the first round of the postseason. Atkinson added the Cavs plan to scrimmage at some point during the week, and Mitchell is expected to participate. The Cavs will open the playoffs on April 20, the NBA announced, against whichever team emerges from the Play-In Tournament Friday as the East’s No. 8 seed.
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against the San Antonio Spurs on March 27, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Will Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell be ready for the start of the playoffs despite ankle sprain?
The Cavs are anticipating Mitchell will ramp up for the playoffs and be ready for Game 1 in Cleveland.
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“I think he’ll be full-on with practice,” Atkinson said of Mitchell. “He was on the court [Saturday]. Got a full workout in. We’re going to have to scrimmage at some point, probably intrasquad and with refs, and so he’ll participate in that.
“Maybe the most important thing is how we build him up with this, the ankle kind of rehab and then conditioning. It’s a big one. So we’re on it. And listen, one thing, in Donovan we trust, right? In terms of work, prep, all that stuff, he’ll be ready, but we’ve got to help set up the scenarios that help him most.”
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How serious is Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell’s injury?
Atkinson has called Mitchell’s ankle sprain “mild.” Mitchell suffered the injury in the third quarter April 6 during a 120-113 loss to the Sacramento Kings. He returned during the same quarter and played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter. He finished with 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field (1 of 6 on 3-pointers), seven rebounds, six assists and two steals in 33 minutes.
Mitchell, 28, then sat out the final four regular-season games, including Sunday against the Pacers.
In the 2024-25 regular season, Mitchell played 71 games and averaged 24 points on 44.3% shooting from the field (36.8% on 3-pointers), 5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 31.4 minutes.
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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs expect injured Donovan Mitchell to fully practice for playoffs