Donovan Mitchell is fresh off leading his Cavaliers to two straight wins over the Pistons at home, and is now on track for his usual excellent playoff track record. Throughout his career, Mitchell has consistently improved as a scorer in the playoffs and shown up for his team with some massive performances. He's now up to 33 points per game in this series following a monster 43-point explosion.
Mitchell is a dangerous playoff performer
Perhaps the most impressive element of Mitchell's huge Game 4 performance was his lack of production in the first half. He had just 4 points at halftime, but completely flipped the switch for 39 big ones in the second half. This tied an all-time NBA record for points in a playoff half.
Mitchell thoroughly outdueled Detroit's Cade Cunningham and jumped out to a huge lead despite unexpected production from the Pistons bench. When he got going, he was impossible to stop because of his diverse scoring arsenal; Mitchell is a true three-level scorer who can kill you at the rim, on floaters or from three-point range.
With his lightning-fast quickness and great shooting, Mitchell has turned up in the playoffs for his whole 9-year career. He averages 28 points per game in the playoffs across his career, spanning 74 games now. Shockingly, his Game 4 performance doesn't even rank in his top 6 career playoff scoring games. In fact, he's hit the elusive 50-point mark 3 times in the playoffs, including twice in the 2020 first round.
The Pistons must find an answer for Mitchell
Mitchell has been arguably at his best this series and seems to get better with each passing game. He's increased his scoring output every single game, and the Cavaliers have looked better because of his upwards trajectory. Despite all their talented wing defenders, the Pistons have been unable to reliably slow him down at all.
Most worrying about Mitchell's scoring profile in this series is his efficiency. Mitchell is shooting nearly 50% from the field against the Pistons, giving the Cavaliers a consistent source of great offense. Combined with James Harden's own brilliance in the backcourt, Mitchell has been able to pick his spots effectively and attack as he sees fit.
He hasn't even shot particularly well from outside in the series either. Mitchell is averaging just 31% from deep and his only great three-point shooting game so far was Game 1. However, he's been able to leverage his handle and quickness to attack the rim and midrange relentlessly. Mitchell has also earned more than his fair share of free throws - 32 in the last 3 games. With all his tools, Mitchell has quickly become a playoff nightmare for the Pistons.
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