Cavaliers' Star Gets Brutally Honest on Troubling Concern

Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell has opened up on a puzzling part of his game.

Jan 20, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives between Phoenix Suns guard Tyus Jones (21) and forward Kevin Durant (35) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

On the surface, it looks like Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell is having a terrific season.

And well, he is.

The five-time All-Star is averaging 23.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists over 31.2 minutes per game on 44.6/40.2/83.3 shooting splits and has the Cavaliers on track to land the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

However, Mitchell isn't satisfied.

After pouring in 33 points on 11-for-25 shooting in a win over the Phoenix Suns, the 28-year-old actually expressed some concern over his efficiency.

“The shots I took weren’t the greatest tonight or the decisions I should make,” Mitchell told reporters. “Not necessarily shots, but the decisions. Just being better. Y’all may look too deep into this, but I just am always a stickler for that. This is probably the first time I really say it as much as I am out loud, but that’s just how I’ve always been, especially now. [I’m] continuing to take that step and be that guy. I want to continue to better myself.”

Mitchell's true-shooting percentage has dipped to 58 percent this year, and while that certainly isn't bad, it's his lowest mark in Cleveland. He is also making just 56.7 percent of his shots at the rim this season, well below his career average of 65 percent.

By contrast, Mitchell converted on over 70 percent of his attempts at the basket all three of the preceding three campaigns.

It certainly hasn't negatively affected the Cavs, but Mitchell wants to ensure that he is putting his best foot forward.

“I’m gonna push myself to be great,” Mitchell said. “You could look at this night and be like, yeah, I had a pretty good game. No, my goal is to be as efficient as possible, take better shots, different things. I’m always gonna be critical of myself. But that’s just always been my way.”

We'll see if Mitchell can bump his efficiency during the second half of the season.