The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to an uneven start this regular season. Head coach Kenny Atkinson’s team currently sits at 12-7, a far cry from last year’s 16-1 record at this point. Despite this start, franchise superstar Donovan Mitchell offered a confident assessment of why the Cavs will benefit from this early-season adversity in the long run.
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Donovan Mitchell Believes the Cleveland Cavaliers Will Bounce Back From Their Slow Start
The Cleveland Cavaliers were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the majority of last season amid their 64-win campaign. Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley all had All-Star-caliber seasons for a franchise that seemingly rebuilt its championship ceiling in head coach Kenny Atkinson’s first year.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Cavs were expected to carry on this momentum as one of the preseason Eastern Conference favorites alongside the New York Knicks. Through 19 games, however, the Cavs are 12-7 and sit fourth overall in the conference.
In particular, the offense has taken a dip this season, dropping from first to 15th in offensive rating. Fortunately for Cavs’ fans, Donovan Mitchell isn’t pressing the panic button. In fact, during an interview with senior NBA writer Marc J. Spears, the six-time All-Star explained how this adversity-filled start is a blessing in disguise for the Cavs.
“With 15-0, you always are going to say, ‘We’re going to learn. We’re going to learn.’ But are you if you’re going out there winning by 20, winning by 25, sitting in the fourth quarter?” Mitchell said.
“I think now we’re having to gut some wins out, having to have tough losses, seeing different coverages, seeing teams guard you differently, and this is all without DG [Garland] and Max [Strus].
So, when we get them back, continue to take those steps. “Obviously, you want to go 15-0, right. But for myself and for us as a team, I’m OK here because this is showing us so many different lessons within the first 15, 16 games.”
Mitchell Has Carried the Cavs’ Struggling Offense Through 19 Games
With the injuries to Garland and some of the supporting cast, Mitchell has had to up his offensive output. The 29-year-old has subsequently answered the bell and is on the pace for the best season of his career.
Only 4 players have 500+ total points this season:
Nikola Jokic
Tyrese Maxey
Shai Gilgeous Alexander
and Donovan Mitchell. pic.twitter.com/WE9z8CpaDo
— MitchellMuse (@mitch_muse) November 25, 2025
What’s been particularly noteworthy has been Mitchell’s three-point shooting, which is at 38.3% on a career-high 10.3 attempts per game. Unfortunately, the Cavs’ percentage from deep has dropped from 38.1% to 34.8% overall, which should improve if Garland can play consistently again.
Overall, Mitchell and company are still in a comfortable spot in the Eastern Conference hierarchy and should be able to grow into this season and earn a top 3 seed by the end. This is a group that’s playing the long game and wants to be peaking exactly when April rolls around.