Cavaliers' strong play without Donovan Mitchell should scare East teams

The Cleveland Cavaliers areaiming to make noise in the NBA playoffs behind superstar DonovanMitchell, but they have also impressed without him in thelineup.

Mitchell is dealing with a kneeinjury, which has caused him to miss Cleveland’s last six games. Inthis span, the team has won three games against the DetroitPistons, Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves. Taking down theCeltics and Timberwolves is no small task, as both sit near the topof their respective conference. Due to these wins, the Cavaliersare currently the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference (and just ahalf game back of the Milwaukee Bucks for the No. 2seed).

Friday’s overtime victoryagainst Minnesota came thanks to tremendous outings from guardDarius Garland and center Jarrett Allen. Garland tallied 34 pointsand 8 assists on 13-of-26 shooting, while Allen recorded 33 points,18 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks on 47.4% shooting. It’simportant to note that the Cavs were also missing key contributorsMax Strus and Evan Mobley in this matchup. This game further pushesthe agenda that the Cavaliers’ greatest weakness ishealth.

Meanwhile, the win over Bostonstemmed from a miraculous fourth quarter from forward Dean Wade.The 27-year-old exploded in the final 12 minutes, scoring 20 pointson 7-of-7 shooting to push the Cavs to a one-point victory. Socialmedia even began comparing the Cavs forward to Miami Heat legendand Hall-of-Famer Dwyane Wade through the nickname ‘D-Wade.’ It’sbecoming crystal clear that the organization has the depth tocompete regardless of the adversity its faced.

There’s no doubt that Mitchellis the leader of the team, but Cleveland’s starting lineup as awhole can contend regardless. The five-time All-Star is averaging28 points, 6.2 assists (career-high) and 5.4 rebounds (career-high)on 47.2% shooting in 47 appearances.

Mitchell is accustomed to hisrole as a No. 1 option from his time on the Utah Jazz alongsideformer Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. The Jazz wouldoften find themselves as a prominent seed when the postseason camearound but lacked the depth and talent to reach the NBAFinals.

The Celtics, Bucks and New YorkKnicks highlight the East's championship contenders, and Clevelandhas defeated all three teams this season. In a seven-game seriesagainst a top contender, Mitchell will be heavily relied on buthe'll also have plenty of help thanks to the Cavs'depth.

In Cleveland, Mitchell findshimself in a situation where he can rely on his teammates to upholda certain standard when he is struggling or unable toperform.