Netflix set to release documentary on Cleveland Cavaliers
Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell reveals where he and Darius Garland stand in NBA backcourt history
The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to roll. On Friday night, the Cavs extended their winning streak to 13 games after escaping with a 118-117 win over the Charlotte Hornets. They managed to overcome a rough shooting night by getting to the foul line, attempting 51 free-throw attempts as a team and making 43 of them. It may not have been the best of nights for the league’s best team at the moment, but the mark of a true contending team is still being able to get the job done under suboptimal circumstances.
Over the offseason, some critics believe that the backcourt partnership of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland was on borrowed time. But what a difference a year makes; from believing that they cannibalize each other’s games, some fans are hailing them as perhaps the most skilled backcourt duo in NBA history. Mitchell, however, wants to pump the brakes on that one considering how many skilled duos have come before the Cavs’ star partnership.
“Ooh, that’s a lot. In history? That’s tough,” Mitchell told Jerry Donatien, Hornets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. “I’m never gonna put anyone ahead of us because that’s just, we can’t. But I think there was a backcourt of Kyrie Irving and James Harden that existed. There’s a backcourt of Kyrie and Luka [Doncic] existed… [But] I can kind of see what he’s saying.”
Mitchell has always been humble, preferring to let his game do the talking and letting the fans and critics decide where he stands among his peers. And perhaps there is a point in Mitchell’s hesitation in naming him and Garland as the most skilled backcourt duo; after all, he will be the first to say that they haven’t really achieved much yet during their time together on the Cavs. But they are certainly well on track for this distinction, provided that they sustain this level of play for a good amount of time.
Many critics are quick to give up on a core that underperforms in the playoffs. The Cavs exited the playoffs in the first and second round in 2023 and 2024, respectively, leading some to think that their core four has run its course.
But the Cavs front office believed in their core, and under the tutelage of head coach Kenny Atkinson, they have blossomed into an unstoppable team on both ends of the floor — with Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen leading the way.
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