Donovan Mitchell
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Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cleveland Cavaliers played their last two games against the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons without Donovan Mitchell due to a groin injury. The Cavaliers have revealed Mitchell’s status for Sunday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.
After an impressive win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday, the Cavs ruled Mitchell out with a strained right groin a day later for their game in Milwaukee.
Coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters before Cleveland’s loss to the Pistons on Friday that Mitchell’s injury is not serious. Atkinson offered a vague recovery timeline, which will likely be after Tuesday’s rematch against Detroit.
“I hate speculating, I just don’t like to do that,” Atkinson said, via Sports Illustrated. “We don’t love soft tissue injuries. The feedback I’m getting is that it’s not a long-term thing, so that’s good. It’s not like, ‘Man, it’s going to be four weeks, you know, a month or a month and a half.’ It’s none of that.”
Atkinson added that the Cavs’ head athletic trainer, Steve Spiro, is confident about Mitchell’s injury recovery. There is a sense of urgency within the franchise, especially with James Harden‘s non-displaced fracture in his right thumb.
Mitchell’s Injury Status vs. Nets
According to the Cavs’ official injury report, Mitchell has been ruled out for the third consecutive game as he continues his recovery from a groin injury.
The Cavs should have a better chance of beating a Nets team currently on a seven-game losing streak. Mitchell’s next chance to suit up is on Tuesday against the Pistons, but he’s more likely to get cleared after a rare four-day break from Wednesday to Saturday.
In addition to Mitchell, the Cavs have also ruled out Max Strus, Dean Wade and Riley Minix, while Harden and Keon Ellis are tagged as questionable. Strus has yet to make his season debut after undergoing left foot surgery in the offseason.
Wade has a sprained right ankle, while Minix is on a two-way contract. Harden and Ellis could get upgraded to available or downgraded to out before tip-off. Harden continues to deal with a non-displaced fracture in his right thumb, while Ellis has a fractured left index finger.
The former MVP and Ellis are the Cavs’ biggest acquisitions at the trade deadline. They will need both players healthy, along with Mitchell, if they want to finish the regular season strongly.
Mitchell’s True Feelings About Harden
In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape after the NBA trade deadline, Mitchell opened up about teaming with Harden. He understood that there are going to be questions about their chemistry, but he’s not worried about it.
“I never had a guy like that on my team,” Mitchell said. “And we’re not here to figure out like who’s bigger, better or whatever. How are we going to win? And I think having that relationship helps. But it also speaks to the type of people that he and I are. We’re trying to figure what’s right.”
Harden and Mitchell have played together seven times this season, with the Cavs going 6-1 in those games. They have wins over the Denver Nuggets, Charlotte Hornets and the Knicks.