How does the Donovan Mitchell trade affect the Milwaukee Bucks?
It was introduced Thursday that Donovan Mitchell was certainly traded, to not the New York Knicks as beforehand rumored, however to the Cleveland Cavaliers. What does that must do with the Milwaukee Bucks? It is simple to dismiss this information as not affecting the Bucks but it surely does. While there isn’t lots fabricated from the division alignment within the NBA as a lot as within the NFL or MLB, it’s nonetheless a think about scheduling, which is the place the relevance is available in.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers are each within the Central Division of the Eastern Conference, together with the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls. So Donovan Mitchell being traded to the Cavaliers implies that the Milwaukee Bucks must face Mitchell twice as typically, going from twice a 12 months as a member of the Utah Jazz within the Western Conference, to now 4 occasions this season as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Bucks and new look Cavaliers will likely be effectively acquainted early within the season, two matchups in Milwaukee will happen on November sixteenth and twenty fifth, with the opposite two matchups approaching December twenty first and January twenty first, these two video games in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers traded three gamers, Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen and 2022 first spherical decide Milwaukee born Ochai Agbaji, (a decide the Milwaukee Bucks have been rumored to be interested in buying and selling for) along with a number of first spherical picks and decide swaps. Collin Sexton is a strong participant and I’ll admit I’m glad to see Markkanen go as a result of his measurement was efficient guarding Khris Middleton for stretches when the Bucks and Cavaliers performed.
What does Donovan Mitchell coming over to the Cavaliers imply for his or her face to face matchups with the Milwaukee Bucks? It means Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, Wesley Matthews, George Hill and Jevon Carter have extra work to do defensively. Cleveland already had an All-Star of their backcourt final season with Darius Garland, who bought paid this summer season, and now Donovan Mitchell who has been a perennial All-Star and has had some fairly sturdy playoff moments although it hasn’t amounted to a championship, main the Utah Jazz to rebuild.
In 10 video games as a member of the Jazz in opposition to the Milwaukee Bucks, Donovan Mitchell has averaged 26.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.8 rebounds. While his subject aim proportion is a comparatively low 40.1 % in these 10 video games, Mitchell’s 3-point proportion is almost the identical at 40 %.
The final time the Bucks and Jazz played against each other, Donovan Mitchell and Jrue Holiday went at it, every scoring 29 factors on 10 made subject objectives, nonetheless it took Mitchell 32 subject aim makes an attempt, together with 17 3-pointers of which he made 5 to get these 29, it took Jrue Holiday simply 21. Mitchell completed the March 14th matchup with 29 factors, eight assists and 6 rebounds. Jrue Holiday completed with 29 factors, seven assists, 4 rebounds and 5 steals. Giannis Antetokounmpo additionally scored 30 factors and grabbed 15 rebounds and the Bucks received the competition 117-111 and bought their first win in Utah since 2001.
The Cleveland Cavaliers traded away a little bit of their depth to make this commerce and their first spherical draft decide however keep a robust beginning lineup that additionally options Evan Mobley who narrowly completed 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting in 2022 and Jarrett Allen, after watching Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in Utah there is no such thing as a doubt that Donovan Mitchell will make the Cavaliers massive males higher.
The Milwaukee Bucks are nonetheless the staff to beat within the Central Division till additional discover, because of the best player in the NBA Giannis Antetokounmpo, however the addition of Donovan Mitchell is a transfer that brings the Cavaliers nearer to the highest groups within the Eastern Conference and presents a brand new problem to the Bucks of their quest to get again to the NBA Finals and compete for an additional championship.