The oxygen tank is empty: Cavs need Donovan Mitchell’s heroics just to survive — and sometimes that isn’t enough

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs have a Donovan Mitchell problem – but not the one you might think.

Their issue isn’t with their star guard’s performance; it’s with their absolute dependency on him to save them night after night.

Sunday’s overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets exposed this dangerous reliance in the most painful way possible when Mitchell had a rare off night.

Mitchell, who shot just 6-of-24 from the field and 1-of-11 from deep in the defeat, immediately shouldered the blame: “I had one of those nights, on a night, on a situation where I’m not allowed to have one of those nights, I feel like if I play better, we win that game. Put this one on me.”

That statement should terrify Cavs fans more than the loss itself.

In a functional NBA offense, even elite players should be allowed occasional off-nights without the team crumbling. Mitchell’s “not allowed to have one of those nights” admission reveals Cleveland’s broken system.

“And that leads to the real question. When is this team going to win a game without needing Donovan Mitchell as emergency oxygen?” asked Wine and Gold Talk host Ethan Sands, cutting to the heart of Cleveland’s structural problem.

This isn’t just about Mitchell’s shooting slump. It’s about a $200+ million roster constructed to compete for championships that instead requires nightly heroics from one player to beat even the league’s bottom-feeders.

The Charlotte Hornets entered Sunday’s game as one of the NBA’s worst teams, yet Cleveland still needed Mitchell to be Superman – and when he wasn’t, they collapsed.

The dependency issue extends beyond Mitchell.

Darius Garland, clearly limited by a re-aggravated toe injury, played through visible discomfort to deliver 26 points and 9 assists – his best performance of the season.

When questioned about his injury, Garland shut down the conversation: “I’ve answered all the questions about my toe. I’m not even going answer any more about my toe. I’m out there playing. I’m out there for my teammates, trying to win basketball games.”

That terse response speaks volumes.

As Sands noted, “That tells me this is something he’s planning to play through all season long. So it’s up to Kenny Atkinson and the coaching staff to alleviate some of the pressure on Darius Garland and what he’s dealing with. And also knowing when they have to save the player from himself.”

Yet instead of managing Garland’s minutes, Atkinson kept him on the floor for the entire overtime period without a single substitution – a decision that looks even worse considering the re-aggravated injury and the team’s complete offensive collapse in overtime.

The toll of carrying this team is showing.

Mitchell couldn’t muster his usual superpowers Sunday, and the physical strain on Garland is increasingly evident. With Evan Mobley now sidelined for 2-4 weeks and Max Strus potentially out until the All-Star break, the burden on Cleveland’s backcourt stars will only intensify.

The Cavaliers’ championship aspirations hinge on developing a system where Mitchell and Garland facilitate team success rather than repeatedly bailing out a sinking ship. True contenders win through system, structure and shared responsibility – not individual heroics.

“This team continues to give you one good quarter, maybe one and a half. And more often than not, it comes in the fourth quarter powered by, yeah, you guessed it, Donovan Mitchell showing up with a fire extinguisher to put out a fire he didn’t start,” Sands explained.

This overdependence creates a ceiling on what Cleveland can achieve.

Even the greatest players have off-nights, particularly in playoff series against elite defenses specifically designed to contain them. Although Mitchell is a playoff riser, the concerns are rapidly growing.

If the Cavaliers can’t beat the Charlotte Hornets without Mitchell’s brilliance, how can they expect to navigate the Eastern Conference‘s best in the playoffs?

Want the full, unfiltered breakdown of the Cavaliers’ Mitchell dependency and what it means for their championship hopes? Listen to Ethan Sands’ complete analysis on the latest Wine and Gold Talk podcast.

Here’s the podcast for this week: