What is one of the surprising secrets to the Cavs’ success? – Terry Pluto

In the previous five sessions, Mitchell has been an All-Star – three with Utah, then two after being traded to Cleveland.

But in those same five seasons, he missed an average of 20 games due to injuries.

The Cavs and Atkinson had a plan. They wanted Mitchell to be at his peak for the playoffs. They wanted him to be as healthy as possible. They also wanted him to “take a step back” in terms of minutes and shots during the regular season.

“By doing that, he would empower Evan (Mobley) and others,” Atkinson said at a recent press conference.

The grand plan

Mitchell has been the consummate team player and leader since being traded to the Cavs. While he hoped to land in his hometown of New York when Utah put him on the market, he never said a bad thing about Cleveland.

When it came time to sign a contract extension, Mitchell added three years to the one season left on his old contract.

He wanted to stay with the Core Four, the other three being Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Mobley. Only now, they had a new coach in Atkinson.

Mitchell already was the leader of the team. The contract extension gave him even more influence in team policy.

By “stepping back,” Atkinson meant playing fewer minutes and taking fewer shots per game.

Mitchell is in his eighth pro season. He’s playing 31.7 minutes, the fewest since his rookie season. His 23.3 scoring average and taking 18 shots a game also are his lowest totals since his rookie year.

None of this is an indication of a decline in Mitchell’s game. It’s part of a grand plan to improve others on the team and prepare Mitchell for the playoffs.

Not everyone buys in

Atkinson is a basketball lifer. He spent 13 years as a player and coach in Europe. He also played in the old CBA, the forerunner to the current G-League. He has been an assistant with the Knicks, Hawks, Clippers and Warriors.

He also spent 3½ seasons as a head coach with the Nets. In his final year, Brooklyn added Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. As ESPN’s Charles Barkley explained, “We were bragging about Kenny Atkinson doing a great job in Brooklyn… Then [Durant] and [Irving] came and kicked him off the ship… This guy knows how to coach.”

Barkley meant how Irving and Durant had joined forces in Brooklyn, although Durant was recovering from Achilles surgery. The two stars decided they wanted a different coach, and that led to the departure of Atkinson.

Atkinson understands the politics of the NBA and the power of stars.

Players measure themselves against each other. Some do it by comparing contracts. Others with individual honors, such as scoring averages, All-Star appearances, MVP votes.

Mitchell signed a maximum contract, so that wasn’t a problem. But fewer minutes, fewer shots? Many players don’t buy it.

What about Michael Jordan?

Jordan wanted it all – NBA titles and scoring titles.

Coach Phil Jackson found a way to make that happen, but it was a challenge. Jordan had the ability to create a shot almost any time he wanted, regardless of the defense.

Jordan won 10 scoring titles in his 13 years with the Bulls. The years he missed were his first two seasons. Then 1994-95, when he played only 13 games.

In the seven full seasons Jordan played for Jackson, he won a scoring title each year. They also won six championships. They found a way to have both.

Mitchell isn’t Jordan, but he is an elite shot-taker. That means he can drive to the rim almost at will. He has a superb, step-back 3-point jumper that is nearly impossible to block.

If Mitchell set out to win a scoring title, he probably could do it.

“But a big part of Donovan is his humility,” said Atkinson. “He wants to be part of something bigger than himself.”

The big picture

The 28-year-old Mitchell has made the playoffs in each of his first seven NBA seasons. But he has never advanced past the second round.

This has frustrated the Cavs star, dating back to his first five years in Utah.

One of the reasons Atkinson was hired was to “unlock Evan Mobley.” Those are the words used by the Cavs.

Mitchell could have said, “Wait a minute, I’m the best player on the team and I have the stats to prove it.”

But for the team to advance, so must Mobley. Mitchell also has worked hard to grow the game of Darius Garland, who is having the best season of his six-year pro career.

Atkinson mentioned how Mitchell will set a pick for Mobley, and how he looks for Garland and others to deliver passes so they can shoot.

“He is in the sweet spot of maturing (as a player),” said Atkinson. “He’s an excellent communicator, a big voice in the huddle and on the court – but in a good way.”

Meaning what?

“He’s never too high, never too low,” said the coach. “He’s so even-keeled … the embodiment of that.”

The Cavs have the NBA’s best record at 26-4. They are doing it with their best player doing less – and others doing more. That was exactly the plan for the season, but it never would have happened had Mitchell not agreed to embrace the new vision for his own role.