Donovan Mitchell: Cavaliers deserve criticism after playoff failures

Donovan Mitchell acknowledged the Cleveland Cavaliers deserve criticism after their recent playoff failures, including a sweep by the New York Knicks in the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals. Mitchell cited blown opportunities in earlier rounds, noting the Cavaliers should have closed out Detroit and Toronto in six games but instead went to Game 7s, leaving them exhausted for the Knicks series. He admitted the team failed to handle business when it mattered most. Cleveland won 64 games in 2025-26 with Mitchell and James Harden, but the sweep capped a pattern of postseason collapses, including a 2025 second-round loss to Indiana. Mitchell averaged 27.9 points last season and remains determined to change the narrative.