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Is Donovan Mitchell playing tonight vs Hawks? Will Spida continue to shine for Cleveland?

Ashish Priyadarshi
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Is Donovan Mitchell playing tonight vs Hawks? Will Spida continue to shine for Cleveland?

Donovan Mitchell joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in an exciting pairing between him and Darius Garland, and the preseason has looked nice so far.

In a blockbuster deal this summer, the Cavs completely changed the trajectory of their team. They traded Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, and 2029), and two pick swaps (2026 and 2028).

It was a monster move, but with the run Cleveland had last year, they felt like it was imperative they try and cash in on an available superstar.

Cleveland surprised everyone last season, finishing as the 9th seed, and making it to the play-in tournament. They were eliminated from the play-in, but the way they got there surprised everyone. Garland showed major growth in his third season, making the All-Star game.

Now, he’ll have an All-Star running mate to share the backcourt with, and the expectations are much higher in Cleveland than they’ve been post-LeBron James. Evan Mobley is also set to develop, and if he pans out the way the Cavs imagined it, they may have their big-three brewing.

Also Read: “What NBA Player Threw Hot Soup on a Coach?”: J.R. Smith’s Infamous Rebound Isn’t His Only Hilarious Blooper From His Time With Cavaliers

Will Donovan Mitchell play tonight?

The Cavs haven’t had the greatest preseason yet, losing both games to the 76ers. Mitchell played both games in a limited capacity as stars often do during the preseason.

Per the Cavaliers’ injury reports, Ricky Rubio (out, knee); Evan Mobley and Dylan Windler (out, ankle); Kevin Love (out, knee); Jamorko Pickett (day-to-day, back) are slated to miss the Cavs’ game tonight against the Hawks.

However, there is nothing new to note about Mitchell, and if everything goes as it has been, Mitchell will be back in Cleveland’s starting lineup to match up against Atlanta.

Since Mitchell is joining a new team, he must get as much playing time as he can with his new group which is why the Cavs are opting to keep him out on the court.

Mitchell and Garland will look to create a strong backcourt

Now that Garland has the offensive support he was looking for in the backcourt, there’s optimism that his play will only get better. Garland’s All-Star selection last year was a promising sign as well.

Mitchell has already established himself as a top-15 player in the league. He’s taken the Jazz to several playoff berths where he’s put in some dominant performances.

Mitchell is a superstar, and he’ll elevate the play of the Cavs by bringing a completely new dimension that the team hasn’t had in a long time. The defense may be a bit compromised, but with Mobley lurking down low, the Cavs have ways to make up for it. Plus, the Garland-Mitchell connection is already looking stellar.

Also Read: Is Zion Williamson Playing Tonight vs Heat? Injury updates for Pelican’s rising superstar

About the author

Ashish Priyadarshi

Ashish Priyadarshi

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Ashish Priyadarshi is The SportsRush's content manager and editor. Ashish freelanced for 1 year in the NFL division before taking on an editorial role in the company. He then tacked on managing content while adding on a writing role in the NBA division. Ashish has been closely following the NFL and NBA since the 2012 season when the Patriots lost the Super Bowl and Derrick Rose was at the height of his powers. Since then, Ashish has focused on honing his knowledge for both leagues in, even writing crossover pieces. In his free time, Ashish is an avid basketball player, he loves to watch movies and TV shows, immersing himself in the cinematic world. Ashish studies computer science and data science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and would love to mesh his love for sports with his technical skills.

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