How Cavs Plan To Get Donovan Mitchell Ready For Playoffs

Donovan Mitchell continues to rehab his knee injury as the Cleveland Cavaliers get closer to the NBA Playoffs.

Donovan Mitchell’s health has been a hot-button topic for the Cleveland Cavaliers since the All-Star break. From a knee injury that sidelined him for nearly a month and a broken nose that has forced him to wear a face mask, Cleveland’s All-Star guard has had a rough few weeks. 

The question now turns to how will the Cavs make sure Mitchell is healthy and ready to go for the playoffs. It's a little more complicated than that. Mitchell himself has admitted that he’s playing through pain in his knee, but there’s no time to sit out any more games. J.B. Bickerstaff and company will instead have to help him manage the pain and minutes.

This is what Cleveland’s head coach had to say about Mitchell’s health and getting him ready for the playoffs before the team played the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday: 

“We’re going to give him the opportunity to play," said J.B. "The games we’ve played recently, he’s gotten his minutes. It’s something he wants to do. It’s something that he feels he needs to do in order to prepare for where we’re going. These are always conversations that we have. These guys know their bodies better than we do.”

“We would never put him in a position where he may injure himself or he’s not in a position to do the thing that he’s capable of,” Bickerstaff continued. “We’ve had that conversation with him as well. If it ever gets to a point where he feels like he can't do the things he needs to do safely, then he won’t play. That’s what it comes down to and he hasn't had that yet.”

Apr 6, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) moves the ball up court against the against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

In terms of the eye test, Mitchell did look much better against the Grizzlies when driving to the paint and exploding off his knee. Now it's all about building on these positive performances and that's what Mitchell knows he needs to do.

“It just takes time," said Mitchell. "If I could fix it and be ready I would, I’d love to. But just have to understand and trust that it takes time and I have to continue to build on it. That’s the biggest thing … I could’ve kept going in the fourth [quarter against the Grizzlies], but no need to, just kind of pace myself.

Going back to the original question, how will the Cavs get Mitchell healthy for the playoffs? It’s going to be a lot of the same which comes down to management. If Mitchell feels right, he’ll play in the final two games. If he doesn’t he wont. 

However, fans should fully expect that Mitchell will give 110 percent effort once the postseason truly does start no matter how he feels. That’s just the type of player he is.