Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell is targeting a return to action from knee and nose injuries, and could possibly return as soon as Friday, March 29, against the Philadelphia 76ers, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Mitchell has not played since March 16, when he suffered a nasal fracture against the Houston Rockets. The injury occurred when Cavs big man Tristan Thompson inadvertently elbowed Mitchell across the face. The five-time All-Star recently underwent a nasal procedure on March 19, and has also been dealing with bone bruise in his knee.
In a total of 49 games, Mitchell has averaged 27.4 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 37.3 percent from three-point range.
The leader of the Cavs' offense, Mitchell's absence has resulted in Cleveland faltering right before the conclusion of the regular season. Without Mitchell on the floor, the Cavs have lost three of their last five games. They now lead the New York Knicks by just a half-game for the 3-seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
Impact of Donovan Mitchell's return
Mitchell is one of the best offensive players in the league right now. Although he has missed 23 games thus far, making him ineligible to receive any awards or accolades at the end of the season due to the league's new 65-game minimum requirement, Mitchell still ranks among the best in terms of scoring. His 27.4 points per game average is tied with Devin Booker and Jalen Brunson for fifth in the league.
When Mitchell is on the floor for the Cavs, good things happen, as their offensive rating is 117.4 this season when he plays. Without Mitchell, the Cavs' offensive rating drops to 113.5 overall, a massive difference in terms of scoring output, according to StatMuse.
Health has been a problem for the Cavaliers all season, as Evan Mobley recently returned from an ankle injury that sidelined him for more than a week. Former All-Star point guard Darius Garland has also missed a chunk of time this season due to a jaw injury that required surgery.
As a whole, the Cavs have proven to be one of the best teams in the league this season. They currently rank fourth in defensive rating, and they have been among the best three-point shooting teams. Cleveland is averaging 13.6 threes per game, the seventh-most in the league.
In addition to Mitchell being sidelined, the Cavs have also been without Max Strus due to a knee injury, and Dean Wade has also been out due to a knee injury. Head coach JB Bickerstaff recently told ClutchPoints that the team remains “hopeful” that all three players will return before the end of the regular season.
“I believe they will all be back in time to play some games, getting the group an opportunity to play some games together,” Bickerstaff stated, via ClutchPoints' Evan Dammarell. “We got some tough road games coming up and I think there'll be great tests for us and just great opportunities for our guys to be back on the floor and get that kind of feeling of playing in an adverse environment.”
The Cavs will likely discuss Mitchell's injury status further after Wednesday night's game against the Charlotte Hornets, a game the star is already listed out for.
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