Donovan Mitchell just laid it all out there, admitting he and the Cleveland Cavaliers absolutely deserve every bit of criticism for how their 2026 Playoffs ended. The dude isn’t sugarcoating a single thing, straight up telling us what went wrong on the Cousins podcast with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.
Rollercoaster Ride Ended in a Brutal Sweep
Talk about a playoff run that kept everyone on edge. The 2026 Playoffs were a total rollercoaster for the Cavs. They barely scraped by in the first round, needing seven intense games to beat the Toronto Raptors. Then, just when you thought they might find their stride, the Detroit Pistons pushed them to another Game 7 in the very next round. All that fight and grit, only to run into a brick wall in the Eastern Conference Finals: the New York Knicks. The Knicks, who ended up being the eventual champions, swept the Cavs right out of the series. Yeah, a sweep. Ouch. Mitchell knows that’s exactly why the team is getting roasted.
“We Didn’t Take Care of Business”
Even with that gut-wrenching sweep, the Cavaliers proved they were the second-best team in the East that year. They got to the Eastern Conference Finals, battling through all that turmoil in the earlier rounds. But the Knicks were just a better squad, and the fatigue clearly caught up with the Cavs. Head coach Kenny Atkinson and James Harden might have believed they were the superior team, but as Mitchell realistically points out, you can’t claim that when you don’t even snag a single win. Mitchell understands the heat they’re getting, especially because they blew a huge 22-point lead in Game 1 of that series and never looked right after it. The star player for the Cavs isn’t dodging anything, saying, “We got swept. We deserve the criticism that comes with that. That’s warranted. We went to 2 Game 7s when we should’ve closed both teams out in 6. We didn’t take care of business.”
So, what’s next? The Cavs are already gearing up for the 2026-27 season, making a big move by adding Peyton Watson to the roster. If they can somehow follow the Knicks’ trajectory from the last few years, the Cavs could totally surprise everyone next season, especially with Mitchell leading the charge as a superstar. It’s on them to prove they learned from that harsh playoff exit.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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