Jarrett Allen was teammates with Donovan Mitchell on the Cleveland Cavaliers for two seasons and said he learned something important about the game from the All-Star that he didn’t realize as an opponent.
“Especially now, this man can pass,” Allen said. “This guy can make it.” The way he finds people on the short roll, finds me in the short roll, people in the corner. … He can find anyone on the passes.
Not only is Mitchell one of the best scorers in the NBA, ranking fourth in the league with 28.0 points per game, but he is also in the top 25 in assists per game with 6.2. The latter number would be his NBA career high at nearly an assist per game.
The 27-year-old’s role may have changed a bit while fellow starter Darius Garland has missed significant time this season due to injury. But Mitchell’s all-around game on the offensive end has also helped Allen’s game, as the 25-year-old is currently near his career high with 15.7 points per game and above his best mark with 2, 7 assists per outing.
Although starter Evan Mobley also missed significant time due to injury, the Cavs have had a great season to date. They sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 39-20 record heading into upcoming marquee matchups against the New York Knicks Sunday and the conference leader Boston Celtics Tuesday.
After losing three of their four games, the Cavs have now won three of their last four games and are 21-6 since the calendar flipped to 2024. Mitchell has undoubtedly been a catalyst and has been mentioned at times as a possible contender for the NBA MVP title.
The University of Louisville product was the No. 13 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team as a sophomore, which was his final season in college. This season, he is averaging what would be an NBA career-high 1.8 steals per game for the Cavaliers.
Mitchell was traded to the Cavs after playing his first five NBA seasons for the Utah Jazz. His future in Cleveland remains an open question as he has yet to agree to a long-term contract extension.
But if Allen is successful – not to mention his other teammates, the organization and his fans – Mitchell will continue to reveal the many aspects of his game with the Cavs for an extended period of time.
