Donovan Mitchell knows that if the Cleveland Cavaliers are to take the next step into being a championship team, they need their entire squad to step up when the postseason rolls around.
Following their 108-100 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, the Cavaliers have a solid record at 9-5, which is one of the top three records in the Eastern Conference entering Monday’s schedule. It’s far from the 15-0 start they posted last year, the second-best start to a season in NBA history.
However, Mitchell knows better than anyone that a great regular season record won’t earn you success in the playoffs. Cleveland went 64-18, clinching the No. 1 seed in the East last year. Despite coasting through the regular season, the Cavaliers lost in five games to the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers, a team that went 50-32 during the regular season.
One of those keys to the team’s success will be none other than Lonzo Ball, a former highly-hyped No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft. While he’s not a starter with the Cavaliers, he’s playing heavy minutes early on and has played a major role in the early portion of the season when Darius Garland has been sidelined due to injury.
Ball posted nine points, seven rebounds and five assists in the win over the Grizzlies. The 28-year-old is averaging 6.4 points and 5.4 assists in 23.0 minutes per game this season.
Mitchell detailed what Ball brings to the Cavaliers.
“His passion, his ability, which allows him to be such a great playmaker,” Mitchell told Cavaliers Nation in a one-on-one interview. “In order for you to be such a great player, you have to understand when guys should cut, when guys should lift. You know when guys should fill, when guys should roll, when guys should pop. You know what he sees, pushing the pace, getting the ball up in two seconds, dropping defenses, splitting it side to side. He’s able to see all that, and it gives a different perspective.”
Ball is one of the few new additions to the roster compared to last season. Although he missed three years due to knee issues before making his return last year, Ball has proven that he’s still a capable playmaker. The veteran point guard is averaging a team high in assists per game along with Mitchell.
He averaged 7.2 assists per game during his rookie campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers and has averaged 5.5 assists per game during his NBA career.
“We’ve been together as a team for about three or four years, but now you have another guy who’s coming in who sees the game differently the way we have seen it, or talked about as a team for four years,” said Mitchell of Ball. “Now he’s getting his input, and I think that’s what we really love the most about it is just because he brings a different speed. He brings a different mental part to the game. Hopefully, ultimately for us to make that run, he has to be a big part of what we do.”
Mitchell detailed exactly what Ball’s personality is like off of the court, describing him as a “great fit” for the locker room. Both Mitchell and Ball entered during the same time as part of the 2017 NBA draft class, with Mitchell having been selected No. 13 overall that year.
“He’s in the locker room making jokes, especially when he’s comfortable with us, which we’re seeing,” said Mitchell of Ball. “I’ve known ‘Zo since the draft (in 2017). We came in together. But for the locker room, he’s a great locker room guy, great fit, and I’m excited for him and what he can do for us as a group. Looking forward to that growth.”