After months of speculation, Donovan Mitchell finally extended to the Cavs, for $150 million over three years. Despite the “gentleman's sweep” in the conference semi-final against the Celtics, the guard considers that Cleveland has everything to reach the highest heights… and is not that far from the champions.
“There is always another level we can reach” he explains. “We feel it and, facing them, we left the field saying to ourselves that, okay, Boston was a very strong team. But we’re not far away.”
Can this gap, the size of which can be debated, be filled thanks to Kenny Atkinson, the team's new coach, who took the place of JB Bickerstaff? Response in the coming months…
Blending into a new system
“He wants to shoot as many 3-pointers as possible” explains Darius Garland on the instructions of the “head coach”. “He wants me to take 8 to 10 3-pointers per game. That I take all the open 3-pointers, that I shoot with confidence. He told me to be free, to play my game, to play with the joy I always displayed. »
A joy that the leader seemed to have lost a little last season. From now on, and like his teammates, he will have to slip into the new system put in place by Kenny Atkinson. A transition that can take time.
“ [La continuité]it allows us to have these conversations” however concludes Donovan Mitchell. “Okay, those are Donovan’s strengths. And that's what he sees. This is what Darius sees. This is what Evan sees. This is what JA sees. I know Ev will be there, but in Kenny's new system he won't be there anymore, he has to be on the other side. And Don, you don't bring the ball up, you go to the corner, that's Ev's role… Having already played together, we can have these conversations. Having already played together for two years, having experienced successes and failures, this allows us to approach all subjects with each other. »
