Time for Cavaliers to Worry About Donovan Mitchell's Health

The Cleveland Cavaliers finally snapped their losing streak on Sunday, routing the Utah Jazz after dropping four straight games.

The losing skid itself wasn't really a big deal. It happens, and the Cavaliers are still firmly in control of the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference regardless.

But there is an underlying concern for Cleveland that should not be taken lightly: Donovan Mitchell's health.

Mitchell sustained a groin injury earlier this month which caused him to miss a couple of games. Initially, it didn't appear to be anything major, but Mitchell's numbers in the month of March indicate otherwise.

In nine games this month, Mitchell is averaging 20.3 points per game—his lowest output for any month this season—on paltry 33.3/16.7/82.9 shooting splits.

He is 0-for-13 from three-point range over his last couple of contests and has gone one for his last 19 from downtown overall. He shot 2-for-18 from the field as a whole in a loss to the Phoenix Suns last week.

Either Mitchell is mired in a miserable shooting slump, or something is wrong. It could also be a little bit of both, but either way, that's troublesome for the Cavs with the playoffs right around the corner.

Is Mitchell's groin still a problem? If so, the Cavaliers may seriously need to consider resting the 28-year-old, or at least strictly managing his minutes throughout the rest of the season. Remember: Mitchell ended up suffering an injury during the second round of the playoffs last spring. Cleveland doesn't need a repeat of that, as it will destroy its title chances.

Right now, the most important thing is ensuring that everyone is healthy for the postseason, and it doesn't appear that Mitchell is 100 percent. It seems hard to imagine that he is shooting the ball that poorly without any variables affecting him. Something seems to be off.

The playoffs start in less than a month. Now is not the time to play with Mitchell's health. If he is laboring in any way, form or fashion, the Cavs need to sit him until he is completely ready to go. Otherwise, they could be torpedoing any chance they have of a championship run.

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