Do the Boston Celtics have a Donovan Mitchell problem?
As the Celtics look ahead to the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers stand out as their main barrier to the NBA Finals. If current seedings hold and both teams advance through the playoffs, Boston would play Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Cavaliers having homecourt advantage.
The two powerhouse squads split the regular season series 2-2, but the most recent battle was bad news for Boston. The Celtics blew a 25-3 lead to open the game and ended up losing to the Cavs at home despite 46 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists from Jayson Tatum.
Mitchell was the lethal protagonist for Cleveland, scoring 41 points on 5-for-12 from three.
Notably, Boston was without its (arguably) best perimeter defender, Jrue Holiday, as he continued to recover from a finger injury. The Celtics were also missing Kristaps Porzingis, although KP’s absence isn’t as relevant to the question of how Boston is supposed to stop Mitchell if and when they face Cleveland in the playoffs.
Mitchell has given the Celtics problems in all four meetings this season. He’s averaging 35.5 points per game on 49.5 shooting from the field versus Boston in 2024-25.
Legendary sports writer and podcaster Bill Simmons discussed Boston’s Mitchell problem on Sunday while comparing Mitchell to a former Miami Heat Hall of Fame guard.
“Mitchell might be the best guy (in a series with Boston when it comes to) who can score in a fourth quarter on both sides,” Simmons said.
“He’s getting all the shots he wants (versus Boston). He gets the three he wants; he gets the matchups he wants; he gets the runners he wants; he can get to the rim.”
Simmons also brought up Holiday, identifying Jrue as Boston’s potential answer to Mitchell and insinuating that Holiday could earn his exorbitant salary by containing Mitchell in a playoff series.
“(Boston) did that Jrue Holiday extension … to make him feel good about last season heading into the playoffs, but ultimately you’re trying to go back-to-back, and that’s a lot of money … what (Holiday) can do against Mitchell (defensively) will be the entire contract because … (Derrick) White doesn’t seem like he can get a handle on him … it’s gonna have to be Holiday.”
Simmons then made a spot-on comparison for Mitchell.
“It’s mid-2000s (Dwyane) Wade with three-point range is what he reminds me of because he can get to the basket; he can get in the paint, but he also has this three-point shot that Wade never had. And he’s just so athletic.”
Wade won his first NBA title at age 24 in 2006, leading the Miami Heat to a 4-2 series win over the Dallas Mavericks after trailing the series 0-2.
Wade won Finals MVP.
If Mitchell goes on this type of ’06 Wade run, the Celtics truly will be in a lot of trouble.
While Boston has an MVP candidate of its own in Tatum, Mitchell’s ceiling might be slightly higher when he’s in the zone. Holiday’s health could become a huge X-factor for the Celtics in a theoretical Eastern Conference Finals matchup with Cleveland.
More NBA: Celtics superstar struggling through ‘mildly concerning’ shooting woes
