“Mainly when we figured out who we kept…I was like wow we got a talented group!”- Donovan Mitchell depicts the moment being traded to Cleveland Cavaliers, believes Cavs are talented and hungry for championship
The Cleveland Cavaliers sent shockwaves throughout the NBA when they acquired star guard Donovan Mitchell. It was an eye-opening move by the Cavaliers and one that sent a message to the rest of the league that they are on the rise.
Cleveland went on to become one of the pleasant surprises of the 2021-22 season in the Eastern Conference. That was until a run of injuries saw the Cavaliers tumble down the standings during the second half of the season. Eventually, the team went on to lose a play-in game. But it was clear they were still on the rise.
That's just what the organization felt too, as they were aggressive with their pursuit to improve this offseason. After acquiring Donovan Mitchell from a trade with the Utah Jazz, it looks as if the Cavaliers could be a sneaky contender in the Eastern Conference. Speaking at his introductory press conference, Mitchell talked about how excited he is to play with the talented group that the Cavaliers have.
“Mainly when we figured out who we kept…I was like wow we got a talented group! We got a talented group...we're young, but we're hungry and we're ready.”
""We got a talented group... We're young, but we're hungry and we're ready."
@spidadmitchell on the new look @cavs https://t.co/d9y137gSl8
Cleveland Cavaliers look to make noise with Donovan Mitchell
Many initially expected Donovan Mitchell to suit up for the New York Knicks once the Utah Jazz announced his availability. That was until a bombshell hit the basketball world when it was announced that the Cavaliers had traded for the talented combo guard.
Mitchell now projects to slide in alongside rising star point guard Darius Garland to give Cleveland a dangerous young duo in the backcourt. With the impressive defensive combination of Jarrett Allen and last year's rookie standout Evan Mobley, the Cavaliers suddenly have a thrilling young core to move forward with.
"When I first found out, I was golfing. That report is true."
@spidadmitchell on how he found that he got traded to the Cavs
https://t.co/Z6Chp8IiVG
There's no denying that the Cavaliers should be an offensive force when it comes to the combination of Garland and Mitchell in their backcourt. If the rest of the pieces can continue to take strides forward in their development, the Cavaliers could become a team to watch out for in the Eastern Conference for years to come.
In his last season with the Jazz, Mitchell went on to post averages of 25.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 44.8% from the field.