[Highlight] Donovan Mitchell is having words with his teammates in the huddle.
These dudes crumpled like some wet napkins after that game 1. Crazy to see honestly
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He reminds me of ppl I used to play ball with. When things weren’t going their way, they’d stop trying so that later they could say they weren’t going 100%
“You guys try too hard smh” Those guys are really the worst. Losing hurts their ego too much
plays super physical, then taunts others for “trying too hard” by running the floor
Like, brother, if you’re going to abuse your size, I’m going to abuse your weak ass lungs
Which is ironic because hey, maybe if yiu had TRIED we might have had a better chance to win the game
They all quit, Mitchell is just being performative
You’re 100% right btw. I would say, as a vet, Harden has an opportunity to show Leadership and give effort when the odds are heavily against him. I’ve never seen a player consistently give up more than James Harden in the playoffs.
Players will have reels made when they retire, and Harden will have a weird cut. Many moments of greatness, elements of selfishness, lackluster defense, and a montage of giving up during games. Seriously, just search for “James Harden gives up” on YouTube.
Harden in the playoffs. Lol.
Idk why everyone just piles on Harden. He’s one player out there. The whole team is playing like shit you don’t get blown out like that from one dude having a bad game.
How about one of your highest paid dudes having 3 bad games?
Because hating on Harden is the cool thing to do. He was SGA before SGA without a ring. Add in some truly unfortunate games/stretches and everyone clings to how bad Harden is opposed to how bad the teams he’s been on have been.
James Harden has had an abysmal post season scoring wise, and the Cavs offense was still infinitely better with him on the floor. He literally carried when Mobley and Mitchell played like shit for most of this postseason.
Reddit likes to pretend Harden in 2026 is the same as Harden in 2019.
Harden defenders are so lame. He has more turnovers than field goals made in like 30% of his playoff games. What other superstar has done that?
But he’s also apart of the problem. He disappears when it matters most as well.
James “Cancun” Harden
James Harden didn’t quit after game 1, to be sure though. I don’t think anyone really quit after game 1.
They quit during game 1.
One of the most historically overrated players in NBA history.
Yep. People are really going to overrate him even more when his career is over and we just go back to look at stats. They won’t remember just how often he just disappears in important games.
I don’t think this is true no one talks about Melo (I feel like I even have to clarify I’m talking about Carmelo Anthony…) who I think is the same breed
Thing is Melo didn’t win MVP and finish top 2 like 5 years in a row, average 36 ppg, and average a near-30 point triple double in separate seasons. If you just look at stats and accolades Harden is VERY impressive.
Bro is already making rezzies at the local wing joint
wing strip joint
Just like in the 2018 Finals, the Game 1 collapse was too much to overcome.
Yeah my friend told me after game 1 that this was gonna a sweep due to overcoming the mental hurdle of needing to get over that collapse. Was doubtful considering they were still the better team for most of the game, but in the end he was totally right and I was wrong
Just think…blew a 22 point lead in game 1 to lose in OT by double digits. THEN you have to see the same team at the minimum 3 more times
Yeah they just couldn’t move on. You had Mitchell still referencing game 1 in the game 3 postgame presser. And their coach saying they “won 2 out of 3 games analytically” as if that means anything lol. There’s a reason why when teams are down and out you hear them say so often things like “we’re taking one game at a time” or that they’re treating each game like a one game series. You have to be able to compartmentalize, refocus, and regroup
And I’m a millionaire if you look at only the deposits in my bank account over the last 15 years.
Lol anytime a coach says something dumb like that you know it’s over.
Or GM… cough, cough, Daryl Morey, cough cough.
Yeah genuinely felt like they lost the series when they were still referencing game 1 like three games later and talking about the series in general when the right answer is like one game at a time. Them guys in Cleveland have the talent but they need a culture setter
Not to mention everyone and their mother talking about how bad one of your “stars” is and how you can just hunt him on defense.
I’ve seen Steph get hunted on defense all the time, but I’ve never seen the opposing coach straight up say that’s the game plan after game 1 cause they know Steph is a psycho who will make you pay.
Meanwhile Harden is just like, “nah you right, let’s hit the club”.
Harden is a psycho who WILL make you pay*
*him 40+ million dollars to be a huge minus on the floor when it matters.
Thats why bron so furious. They can snatch game 1 and hoping to break the spirit of warriors but jr smith has other plans haha
Bron supposedly broke his hand punching the wall after that game.
I mean, they played 2 game straight 7-game series and then blew a huge 4th quarter lead.
It’s hard to put that out of your mind.
I had a feeling this was gonna happen. I turned the game off after the announcers compared it to another comeback but that the Cavs were up more and had less time. “No way they blow this game.”
That has to fuck with your head hard. I still can’t believe they lost that game.
If that 3pointer went in we would be in a very different situation. But yeah they still gave up a 22 points lead before that.
If that 3pointer went in we would be in a very different situation
the james harden story
Knicks got 9 days off to start this series, we’ve played every day day for a month, it absolutely shows. We were locked in and NY was rusty game one til Brunson went off, we were tired then, not helping on defense and just checked out mentally… then they’ve out hustled the rest of the time.
Your team with equal rest was never winning this lol
Not winning but we would not have looked this pathetic.
but it’s on them. They played very lazy against Toronto and it bit them in the ass. Got zero rest leading up to the ECF because we thought the other team was just gonna lie down and die when we got a 10 point lead.
the coach must go. He didn’t even help lol.
Don’t worry, he said they won analytically so it’s all good lmao
This just isn’t true. The Cavs were playing the Knicks tough in Game 2 until they started pulling away in the 2nd half when Josh Hart started making his 3s. They tried different looks and played tough for long stretches in this series, until they gave out towards the end of Game 3 and much of Game 4. The difference maker was that they had spells where they faltered offensively and defensively (I’m not talking about lapses of effort, just brief lapses in effectiveness, which happens to all but the most elite teams), whereas the Knicks just kept coming at them for all 48 minutes. The Knicks had a bench player go 12-13 from 3 this series for Christ’s sake. They’re just playing on another level right now.
Highest paid active roster in the NBA to top it off
Exact same thing happened to bron and the cavs after jr did that bs. This sport psychological as much physical
Is the team holding it together analytically?
Spida’s telling them they can ggo for the analytical sweep if they try in the 3rd quarter.
Joining others all time greats like the 2023 Lakers who morally swept the Nuggets
Analytically they already won , series leads mean nothing to them
They’re getting swept AnaLytically.
If you flip the scores around, Cleveland is actually winning.
Their defense points were more than their offense points.
Cant believe Atkinson handed us that one
That shit made me so frustrated, like now I know I give more of a shit about the game than the coach. Get him the fuck out of here. And now we get to be clowned on for it on top of getting swept, typical Cleveland shit
hes the only one that cares
Harden has given so few shits it’s almost crazy
Coodies if you will
He doesn’t have the internet, how can he get coodies?
Back in my day, we had cooties even before the internet 👴
…fuck I’m old…
It’s quite unbelievable how much his game shrinks in the playoffs. Brother is just chucking bricks
And giving no effort on defense
He gives the effort for like the first couple of seconds of the possession to show he’s making an effort, then you watch every single person blow past him as he looks bewildered. I would lose my mind if I had Harden on my team.
the nature of his turnovers are so irritating man, especially in the playoffs. he makes these flashy looking skip passes like he’s trying to make a highlight or something and just ends up turning it over instead
I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again, I never wanna hear the “Harden > DWade” talks ever again.
I really, truly thought he would deliver a legacy-helping run this year, even if a ring was a long shot. Fooled me one last time.
Too old for that to have been true.
What would possibly make you believe that lmao
Legit question why did you think that was gonna happen?’
kinda ironic giving how hes been shitting so many bricks lately
Nah Struss seems to care the most IMO. Only guy guarding on that Brunson layup at end of G3
Correct take.
Dude’s a dawg. Would fit in great on the Knicks bench
You stop that right now
Plus, I’ll just say what we are all thinking, that’s a very good-looking man
Great role player tbh.
Look at Allen’s gestures. He seems to agree. Struss gave it all too.
I think this is just less talent than NYC.
Idk there’s less talent and then there’s this. They don’t even look like a professional team right now
Also gassed having 2 game 7s and playing every other day for weeks. They’re not as good and superrr gassed
Harden got paid, Allen needs to adjust to the brighter lights, Mobley is ass, and idr the 5th starter
lowkey feel like allen has done his job this series , it’s the perimeter guys outside of mitchell and mobley who are stinking it up
JA has never seemed like a guy to phone it in for any game. I’m not putting this on him.
He’s been decent in bright lights games lately. Not like a huge playoff riser or anything, but he gets misattributed as a choker because he had the meme quote
He seems like an average centre to me. Not the reason they win, not the reason they lose either. He’s kinda just there.
He had 3 rebounds in 26 minutes, in a game the Knicks outrebounded them 60-33.
Allen wasn’t their biggest problem but he wasn’t doing what they needed him to do to stay competitive either.
Did Harden get an extension today that I missed? I’m pretty sure he still needs a new contract.
He’s made 350 million brody
Allen is not the problem imo
Sadly it hasn’t reflected in his play this series
Yeah. Like respectfully. Putting on a show for the cameras down 0-3 after this was your production?? Come on
Max Strus was the only one still trying at the end of the 4th last game
did we jus forget about him shrinking in the spotlight every playoff?
He’ll still take the blame. NBA discourse is in the shitter lmao
He played mediocre as hell the first 2 rounds, if he was up to his standards they wouldn’t be drained after going to 7 twice.
Lmao, he’s not the best cav player in the entire post season
Mobley averaging 3 BPG, more APG than Mitchell, and shooting better from 3 than Mitchell and he’s not caring lol
Feel bad for bro lol he’s a great player
Can’t wait to see who the cavs gonna trade
Haha same. I’m kinda at the point where I think this era is over and they should trade them all, but I have no idea what they are going to do.
I expect some moves but I do not think “end the era trade it all” is ever a good move following a conference finals appearance. No matter how bad the sweep.
It doesn’t feel like it now, but the team did finally get over the hump and made it to a conference finals. Virtually everyone but Harden is still relatively young. Giving up completely is just crazy.
This might not even count as getting over the hump. It was embarrassing.
Embarrassing yes but they were still one of the final four teams and were in decisive control of game 1 before collapsing. Obviously they were outclassed by the Knicks but they are closer to contention than the majority of teams in the league. Blowing it up completely at the point would be an overreaction
Last season too, losing to the pacers as the #1 seed in the east is just a sign that this core has big problems when it comes to the playoffs. A lot of players aren’t pulling their weight
Someone said Donovan Mitchell still has 0 wins in a Conference Finals, which had me shook, cause this is his first time there
Keep Mitchell and have Allen come off the bench
Pretty sure they need to do more than that if they want to be better haha. That would mean you keep Mobley. If you do that and keep Don how are you getting better? You aren’t.
They either need to trade everyone and get picks. Trade Donovan or trade Mobley. If you keep Don and Mobley you can’t get anything. Unless LeBron comes back, but that’s really not in their control.
The Wade-Mobley-Allen pairing seems like it puts a ceiling on how good your offense can be. The Knicks being able to go with only one non-threatening shooter a fair amount of the time felt pretty meaningful in this series. Do you feel like there is a player you could realistically put around that type of grouping with a Mitchell trade?
Not really. But they don’t have picks till 2030. So what I think they should do is either trade them all to get picks and young talent. Or trade Mobley for Giannis. Mitchell and Giannis might not work well together, but, Giannis at least wants to win and they already sold their future. So it’s either sell the last young asset you have, or sell them all and take some flyers on young talent and whatever picks you can get. And you cannot build around Mobley. I’ve watched almost all his games, and he does not have it. He’s a good player but not for that contract. He is so passive and his confidence is horrible.
I don’t necessarily think it’s time to blow up the whole team, but the twin towers meta just needs to go at this point.
Can still get some use with Don but the rest I honestly don’t know.
Keeping Allen and Don probably the best and then trade the rest.
Bro Allen has two more years at 30 mill thats a expensive bench player, but ya I hated his effort and play.
Mobley is 24 and its Cleveland, if you blow this up right now you risk looking like the 2010s suns teams. Not a wise idea, they made the ECF, run it back one more year and if you do blow it up what return are you realistically getting?
Ultimately I think it would be fine if they kept it together for another year then break it up to get out of the tax. I didn’t believe the Knicks could make the finals this year but I was dead wrong on that, sometimes it’s good to just be a really solid team and catch lightning in a bottle for a playoff run
this is 2026. 2 non-shooting bigs just isn’t gonna work. maybe trade Mobley
Bronny. Only way to get Lebron to go back to Cavs
Imagine getting Bronny to entice Bron and he still decides to not come. Then you just…have Bronny.
I have more hope for Bronny in the playoffs then Harden.
He’s arguing what resort they should go to in Cancun
“I said I wanna go Cancun and yall booked Galveston?!”
Jokes aside though, at least he’s still trying to fire his team up. It’s still not too late to start the come back
It might be too late
Yeahhh it was theoretically doable but that ship has sailed I’m afraid
They already in Cancun. Unless James Harden gets blessed by a stripper he not hitting any 3’s
He should consider Lisboa, it’s got amazing beaches this time of year. Great cuisine to boot.
someone ping jomboy
Why is bro so agitated, he’s really ruining the beach and tequila vibes
“we got mfers shooting 0-6 3s in an elimination game, like who does that? Not naming any names or anything”
“I should’ve been in that huddle over there! Why TF did I resign here?!”
Better title than the last OP
Gotta get that karma
This is why despite everything, I’d still want him on my team. He’s a high character individual with the skill to back it up. If the Cavs shake things up, I’d love him alongside Scottie, RJ and CMB on the Raps.
He’s a small guard that can’t play the point. That’s a big part of the reason why his teams always underperform in the playoffs.
It’s crazy that his reputation has managed to go unscathed this long.
Why does he need to play point when James Harden is there
It’s literally the reason they got James Harden.
Garland was there before, it just so happens that he’s even smaller and even worse on defense
Point is, if Donovan had that one important skill, the Cavs could use Harden’s $40 million elsewhere. This is a big liability, he’s not big enough to be a useful defender, and he costs the team the need for an elite guard at the same time. The economics of his skill with respects to how NBA contracts work just aren’t a match made in heaven.
You’re getting things backwards. James Harden is there *because* Donovan Mitchell can’t play point.
They’re losing to the knicks… who’s best player is a small guard that is also a score first player. Mitchell isn’t the problem. The real problem is the PG on the team that has 17 turnovers so far in 4 games against only 12 assists.
Jalen Brunson can play point guard. Donovan Mitchell can’t. You’re literally missing the point.
Do you see how that makes Donovan Mitchell a roster construction problem, while it’s not with Brunson? They can surround Brunson with long defenders. Donovan Mitchell needs Harden…and we’ve seen how that turns out.
If every year in your extensive career you come up short in the playoffs, regardless of team or coach or roster, you’re probably part of the problem.
Five 50+ win teams, multiple 1 seeds, and after finally making it to the conference finals he gets absolutely embarrassed. He’s averaging 26/5/3 on 55% TS for the playoffs as a score first guard while he’s supposed to be in his prime… Almost 37 year old James Harden shouldn’t be getting scapegoated.
90% of the same thing you wrote would also apply to James Harden. Who again is averaging 5 turnovers a game while shooting under 32% from 3.
Still has a higher TS than Mitchell for the playoffs, and again, emphasis on part of the problem. Neither are blameless
I legit thought he was talking about harden till I reviewed the context again
Yeah, I’ve always been a mitchell fan, he’s strong of character and he seems to give a shit. I doubt I’ll ever see him in a raps jersey, but shit a boy can dream.
I doubt I’ll ever see him in a raps jersey
How quickly we forget
So…Ingram or Quickley and draft capital for him is what you’re suggesting?
Ingram AND Quickley. They would need to match salary afterwards. They could throw in Max Strus for instance, and then we throw in a 1st for next year.
Not a chance. The Cavs may move on from Mitchell but that’s an awful return.
lol donovan mitchell and max strus for brandon ingram and immanuel quickley. let me get what you’re smoking or drinking or whatever you got going on up there
Idk why but every time I see him try to fire his teammates up I don’t really get the impression they see him that way.
He was the only one out there that looked like he gave a fuck
In g4 he kinda did because he was hitting shots but for the rest of the series he didn’t at all. There was just no intensity.
Same
I can’t win with you cats!!
I do not understand why they traded for James Harden. What’s done is done, but it feels like there is no coming back from this. They are gonna blow up this Cavs team.
Because Garland has the worst contract in the NBA and this trade got the Cavs off of it. Harden was just a fruity taste to wash down the medicine. Cavs make that trade again 100% even knowing how this playoffs went down.
HERE COMES LEBRON
Why? So they can waste his final years? They already wasted his first 7.
what have the lakers been doing
doubt
Needed to get rid of Garlands contract since he’s not good and he’s never healthy + Harden opens up the offense because he can actually run it. He’s arguably been their best player this entire playoffs run (they don’t beat the pistons or raptors without him)
This team doesn’t beat the raptors with Garland instead of Harden
“You a bum, you a bum, you definitely a bum. Analytically we’re all bums, see you at Galveston”
Fake demon. He’ll do this and then freeze our best players (the bigs) out of the offense to jack up shots then our offense goes cold and we get blown out
Classic says everything right then do the opposite on the court. Does not make his team better. Great scorer tho. Wish he could be like that player he was on game 7 in Detroit. Balance of attacking and dropping pass when defense is collapsing on him.
Everyone is checked out but him
Struss erasure
Struss, Wade, and Merrill have been the only ones who constantly fought, even late in the game. Merrill had those bad shooting games after game 1, which I think resulted from being too in his head after his shot at the end of game 1 went in and out, but he still tried and kept shooting. Everyone else tried in stretches
Lights are too bright
James Harden effect in full go mode
This era is over. Trade them all. Garland was the heart of the team, and they already traded him for an old sack of potatoes.
The raptors were legitimately better than the Cavs and should have won. They at least played with heart, and Scottie is a beast.
As an Idaho-based Jazz fan I’m torn. I like Donovan AND potatoes.
I don’t understand this point. We never made it to the ECF with Garland. We made it with Harden and our coaching failed us game 1. I really think we have the talent with Mitchell, Mobley, Allen, Strus and Merrill. Just need to develop our bench more and get a better coach.
It’s simple math. If you have a group that has been meticulously put together, and reaches the conference finals that have been eluding them for decades, you get rid of everyone. Trade them all, start from scratch, and you are statistically guaranteed to go all the way to the finals on the next attempt. Probably even win it all.
Sounds right to me
The Knicks are on a fucking heater right now, I wouldn’t blow the whole thing up over that
Didn’t realize the payroll situation though, that’s tricky
Horrible take holy shit…
yea garland was really “the heart” of cleveland when he was getting absolutely cooked in the playoffs last year 🙄
If Raptors got past Pistons somehow, they’d probably get swept even harder by the Knicks, like legit 30pt losses nightly.
yea chew them out spida
Bro is ass every other game. Trade him while he still has value. He’s a short guard that’s almost 30 and has proven he can’t be the best player on a championship team.
Dude wants to be on the Knicks right now so fucking bad.
Frank Ntilikina over me??
We’re fine thank you
He’s a great scorer but doesn’t pass enough to get team success
or play defense.
I mean he’s a number 2. Conference finals is the ceiling if he’s the best player on the team
“If I was Lebron, I would have traded your sorry asses”
doesn’t seem like players are listening to him. he kinda did the same thing in utah.
He would talk about defense in Utah and then play no defense.
Winning that game in Detroit was a bad idea
Knicks would have beaten my Pistons but we matchup better
Think it woulda went 6
It’s not very effective…
performative, its too late for that lil itsy spider
Let me be brief. Donovan Mitchell is a cornball. Next question.
Mitchell has balls, but the organization sucks.
mitchell can’t be the best player on a championship team
Man I’ve despised the Cavs after the last couple decades, but this is just sad. Mitchell balls out and the team just disintegrates around him.
Kinda late for that now