Home

NBA

Is Donovan Mitchell Playing Tonight vs Grizzlies? Latest On Cavs’ 5x All-Star

Published 04/10/2024, 6:26 AM EDT

Follow Us

USA Today via Reuters

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a hot and cold run in the season so far. Despite staying afloat above the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference, the Wine and Gold side hasn’t been consistent with their winning habits. Currently, they are in the 5th seed with a 46-33 record, competing against the NY Knicks, Indiana Pacers, and Orlando Magic for the third seed. Tonight, they take on the 13th-seeding Memphis Grizzlies at home with an opportunity to climb up the ladder.

Ahead of the game, the latest injury report confirmed the availability of the Cavs’ trusted guard, Donovan Mitchell. The 5x All-Star, who missed the last game against the LA Clippers with knee injury management, is available for tonight’s game, as per ESPNThe 27-year-old dealt with the same knee injury for the majority of the second half of this season.

USA Today via Reuters

The Cavs had a difficult season in the absence of Donovan Mitchell with an underwhelming 12-14 record. Despite the on-and-off run this season, Mitchell showcased his balling prowess, averaging 26.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 6 rebounds with a high score of 45 points. Apart from the knee injury, he also suffered a nasal fracture, after colliding with his own teammate, Tristan Thompson. Nevertheless, Mitchell has cleared all his injuries ahead of the postseason and can turn up the heat for the Cavs.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Cavaliers injury report

PlayersStatus
Donovan MitchellAvailable
Dean WadeOut (Knee)
Ty JeromeOut (Ankle)
Sam MerrillQuestionable (Neck)

While Mitchell has sneaked out of the injury report, the Cavs still have a few names on the list. The team has listed Dean Wade and Ty Jerome out for the Grizzlies clash with knee and ankle injuries, respectively. Wade, the bench player, who helped the side defeat the Boston Celtics with a 20-point outburst in the 4th quarter in a recent, could be handy in the postseason.

On the other hand, the Grizzlies have more than half a side on the injury report. Currently, they have 13 players on the report with various injuries, including Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Yuta Watanabe.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Cleveland Cavaliers: Depth chart and starting lineup

With Donovan Mitchell’s availability certain for tonight’s game, the Cavs have a balanced side with all their starters healthy for the game. In the absence of Mitchell, Caris LeVert took up the shooting guard role in the starting lineup. LeVert has averaged 16.2 points as a starter and 13.5 points off the bench. The 29-year-old could use his recent spike in his regular role from the bench.

POSITIONSSTARTERS2ND3RD
PGDarius GarlandCraig Porter Jr.
SGDonovan MitchellCaris LeVertEmoni Bates
SFMax StrusIssac OkoroMarcus Morris
PFEvan MobleyGeorges Niang
CJarrett AllenTristan Thompson

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

With three games left in the regular season, the Cavs face the Grizzlies, Pacers and Hornets. If they win all three games, the Cavs will finish their season with a 49-33 record, comfortably placed above the 5th seed. Moreover, the starting lineup for tonight’s game may look like this: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Donovan Mitchell Future Update: Billionaire Confirms 5x All-Star’s Fate With the Cavaliers

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Shahul Hameed

1,616Articles

One take at a time

Shahul Hameed is a Senior NBA Writer at EssentiallySports. Armed with a Master's Degree in journalism from a distinguished institute, his journey into sports writing began during his college days, and since then, Shahul has been captivated not only by the remarkable consistency of Stephen Curry but also by the enduring legacy of LeBron James. He specializes in covering the live basketball action.
Show More>

Edited by:

Saumya Khanduja