Cavs Top 3: Donovan Mitchell’s 44 points not enough to propel short-handed team

The Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday despite a 44-point outing from Donovan Mitchell.

The Cleveland Cavaliers need Jarrett Allen and Isaac Okoro in their lineup if they’re going to be able to fend off some of the better shooting teams come playoff time. The Cavs were down both players for their 120-118 loss to the Hawks on Tuesday night. While the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley did all they could to fend off the Hawks, not having two of the team’s three best defenders will always prove difficult to overcome.

The Cavs’ defense wasn’t the only thing suffering, as outside of Mobley, Mitchell, and Darius Garland, there wasn’t another Cavaliers player who scored in double digits. Ricky Rubio and Caris LeVert both put up nine-point games, while none of the other three Cavs players, Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens, or Mamadi Diakite hit five points.

With the Cleveland Charge currently in the playoffs, and Dylan Windler helping lead the way for the Cavaliers’ minor-league squad, it may behoove the team to consider bringing Windler up in a larger role come to the playoffs.

The Cavs need some serious help on the bench next season, that’s not in doubt.

Cleveland Cavaliers Top 3 vs. the Atlanta Falcons

1 Point – Darius Garland

41 minutes, 27 points, 5 assists, 1 block, +8 BPM

2 Points – Donovan Mitchell

40 minutes, 44 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists,  +4 BPM

3 Points – Evan Mobley

40 minutes, 20 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks, 1 steal, +12 BPM

Cavs Top 3 Seasonal Standings

1. Darius Garland – 88 Points
2. Donovan Mitchell –82 Points
3. Evan Mobley – 70 points
4. Jarrett Allen – 52 points
5. Cedi Osman –  43 points
6. Caris LeVert – 28 Points
7. Isaac Okoro – 22 Points
8. Kevin Love – 20 Points
9. Ricky Rubio – 5 points
10. Raul Neto & Dean Wade – 4 Points
11. Lamar Stevens – 3 points