Donovan Mitchell: 'I Don't Feel Like the Player I Needed to Be' After Loss to Knicks

The Cleveland Cavaliers' season ended on Wednesday night with a 106-95 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 5 in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, and Donovan Mitchell is laying a big chunk of the blame at his feet.

"We did a lot of special things this year, but for it to end this way doesn't feel right," he told reporters. "I don't feel like the player I needed to be for this group. That's what will keep me up at night."

Mitchell put up 28 points in Game 5 but struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 3-of-12 from deep. That mirrored his overall struggles from three in the series, as he shot 28.9 percent against the Knicks.

It was an up-and-down series in general, but a dud in Game 4—Mitchell finished with just 11 points, five assists and six turnovers while shooting 5-of-18 from the field and 0-of-4 from three—left the Cavaliers facing elimination.

For the series he averaged 23.2 points, 7.2 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 3.8 turnovers per game, shooting 43.3 percent from the field. Given that he had averaged at least 25.5 points in his last three postseason appearances and twice exceeded 32 points per contest, it was a disappointing showing.

And it was a far cry from the player who put up 28.3 points per game in the regular season and shot 38.6 percent from three.

Mitchell has won just two playoff series in eight postseason appearances. And it spoiled an excellent season for the Cavaliers, who finished 51-31 and made the playoffs for the first time since LeBron James departed for the second time following the 2017-18 campaign.

His offseason acquisition, paired with the ascending star duo of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, appeared to usher in a new era. It certainly ended a tough stretch of mediocre basketball.

But after giving up this year's Comeback Player of the Year award-winner Lauri Markkanen, along with Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027 and 2029) and two pick swaps in 2026 and 2028, Mitchell's performance against the Knicks isn't going to sit well in Cleveland.

The Cavs banked their future on him. It would be rash to call it a poor decision after just one postseason series, but even Mitchell himself knows more was expected of him in these playoffs.