Donovan Mitchell has had some big moments in Cleveland. As he enters his fifth year with the club, he stated right before the season, in a sit-down with Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, that he wanted to retire here and someday see his #45 jersey in the rafters.

Mitchell has been sort of up and down to begin 2026-27, coming on in the last couple of contests. Advanced analytics and statistics show his +/- and teammate grade to be pretty high compared to his running mates.

But even still, is having him be the top option the correct recipe?

With Donovan Mitchell on the floor this season so far (we are dealing in verrrry small sample sizes), #Cavs have a net rating of 6.6. With him off the floor, they have a net rating of -5.6. The offense, specifically, is about 12 points per 100 possessions better with him on. https://t.co/7btrMo7jN3

— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) November 5, 2026

There are other solutions to fixing the problem here. Maybe building around Mitchell isn’t the move. Let’s talk about the answers.

Build Around The Bigs?

It’s not so much a Donovan Mitchell problem as a Cleveland Cavaliers one. Now in his sixth season, there has been only one thing Evan Mobley has improved on since first joining this team. The three-point shooting difference has been night and day, but all of the other things have failed to grow, and his game has been exactly the same since he entered the league.

He’s been very good; don’t be mistaken, but the lack of touches and consistency have doomed him the entire time. Jarrett Allen, too, has had the same issues. A lack of regular touches and minutes has rendered him ineffective at certain times in the game. Mitchell (and Harden since being acquired) have not been able to get him the rock enough.

The one thing this team can still do is decide to game plan around the big men. Allen is questionable for the team’s next battle with the Hornets after missing most of the last three contests with a knee injury. He should be a focal point. Playing around The Fro and Mobley can open things up for everybody on the outside.

The number of possessions for Cleveland where their two seven-footers don’t touch the ball is alarming. Mitchell can score from anywhere on the floor, but that isn’t what they always need. He has always been able to dish the rock when needed. It’s late in games when he starts to do too much sometimes. Even when the shots do drop, minutes and minutes of hero ball from him and Harden are not going to win much.

Playing through the size opens the floor for everybody else while simultaneously keeping both Allen and Mobley engaged regularly. Having 8-12 shot attempts a night is good for either of these guys, who should both be closer to 12-15. It would do a lot of good to consider.

One Problem, Though

Kenny Atkinson has not shown a willingness to make big changes. James Harden hasn’t been benched or had his minutes reduced yet. This is despite a horrific start where he’s cost them dearly on both ends of the floor.

The closing lineups have still left a lot to be desired, though injuries have played a little bit of a role in the last couple of contests. Atkinson has done a lot of things just fine since coming to Cleveland. But the fact that lineups, rotations, and timely changes remain a struggle means things could stay the same.

In an ideal world, they could try playing around the bigs and getting them the rock a lot more. Using them as hubs to find open guys around the floor. At 5-5 and on a ship that isn’t quite sailing smoothly, why not at least entertain other ideas?