Donovan Mitchell | Cavs vs Bulls Post Game | 1.15.2024

Donovan Mitchell | Cavs vs Bulls Post Game | 1.15.2024

You guys are holding opponents below 100 points per game what if anything has led to that defensive Resurgence um I think at the beginning when those two uh when EV went out especially trying to figure out you know like Jay is taking a step first of

All I want to say that Jay’s taking a major step um in in EN forcing it down low Isaac’s been phenomenal everybody’s done their job Dean but I think we’re now starting to figure out okay you know being in spots earlier you know cuz EV can kind of come over later you know

Having each other’s back rebounding the ball getting on the break like stuff like that I think has really helped us defensively um collectively as a whole shifting you know being in spots early I think is the biggest thing and then the biggest thing is going on the boards but

Like I said J’s been a monster so um you know I think that’s something that truly is really helping us a couple of the guys talked about the defensive principles and JB has talked about it as well saying that they’re not typical in the NBA what makes them so unique

Um you know I think first and foremost the way we help the way you help each other you know I the four I ain’t going to get too much into it um but you know the way we do help you know and how who we help from I think is something that

Is different you know what I mean but I think it’s something that like I said when ev’s there it’s normal it makes sense you know but when you have smaller guys it’s not as you know normal so I think that took a little bit of adjust

To our offense was really ahead of our defense when those guys went out um and I think you’re starting to see it you know kind of even out you know and there going to be nights where we struggle with it just because it’s it’s different

But at the end of the day we’re doing it we’re figuring out and we’re doing it together Jackson uh Jackson Flickinger at down uclid um so over the last month you guys are first and three-point uh frequency and offensive rebound rate uh how is that consistency and play style

Really giving you a baseline um just opening up the floor taking the shots that it were given you know not being afraid but can’t overstate Dean Wade Sam Caris or Dean Dean Wade Sam R George Nang uh and Max juu like you can’t overstate you know what they’ve brought to our you

Know to our offense you know they spaced the floor they it’s why we brought Dean or why we brought Max and George here you know and Sam’s been phenomenal as we all know Dean as well um so I think now that’s honestly you know what’s been the biggest thing in myself Caris and

Everybody else Isaac’s taking you know Sixers a game we love it keep shooting you know that’s the thing we preach keep shooting keep taking those shots um you know even when we went through that rough stretch in the third um you see what happens in the fourth when you

Continue to take those shots the odds will kind of go in your favor and they did tonight do you feel like this team has found more of an identity over the last month than you guys had previous yeah I think we’re starting to figure things out you know I think we’re

Starting to figure each other out and I think like I was telling Chris defensively offensively where it’s it’s all coming together you know and I think that’s the big the best part about it is just continuing to find ways as a group um you know playing together you know offensively and

Defensively e says cle.com Dean Wayne had three of the last five buckets that you guys had and insane shooting performance in the fourth quarter what is it different when he’s shooting with confidence um he’s a he’s a different dude you know I scream at him um to

Shoot the ball um and you know the best part about it is he doesn’t take offense to it doesn’t get you know doesn’t get in his feelings he’s he he loves that support you know but I’m we all are but you know when I when I pass it or when

Anybody pass it he shot F I’m like bro you’re one of the best Shooters on the team you know Let it Fly and you see what happens in the fourth quarter it changes the whole game you know it’s deflating you know when you have to

Guard and then you boom at the end of the shot clock I drive kick you know he’s right there end of the shot clock bang a three you know shoot again bang a three like you know what I’m saying drive a kick you help bang a three

Offensive rebound bang a three like that that is um excuse my language that is uh that’s tough you know that’s tough and he’s when he’s that when he’s like that we’re at our best and you guys weren’t really getting on offense over the third and fourth quarter you guys were

Hounding them on defense Dean also had three steals a career high match for him what is it like to know that you guys can play on both sides but when you’re locked in on defense then it’s hard for other teams to get offense um you know

That’s that’s our identity at the end of the day you know I think you know when when you’re making it tough to score no matter what happens on the offensive end it’s going to you know it’s it evens out in a sense you know we may not be making

Shots where you on our identity you’re not going to get a shot you know you’re not going to be able to do that whether it’s getting the steals you know creating the 24 second violation like we did um being in the passing Lane forcing tough shots getting on the boards like

Whatever it is just scrapping and fighting and clawing you know that’s the biggest thing but I always give CR like it starts with ja like you know he’s been phenomenal and you know we’ve done a good job as well on the outside CHR do you still see you guys as a defense first

Team uh yeah you know that’s that’s it’s it’s it’s closer than it was last year I would say you know it’s kind of tighter but I still think defense has been phenomenal what defense has done really good and especially on nights when our offense it hasn’t been um you know but

Ultimately you know you got to put the ball in the bucket too but you know I think we’ve doing a lot of things really well defensively which is helping us get out on the break and get to our you know offense which is at a high rate they

Finished the third quarter on a 213 run and then they took their first lead in the night early in the fourth quarter what changed for you guys after that and like what was the approach down the stretch we missed shots we didn’t do we didn’t finish the quarter well uh but

You know it’s going to happen you’re going to have a that quarter ultimately ours is in the third so how do you respond that’s the biggest thing and I think for us was just like all right you know they they made their run you know

Now it’s time for us to lock in and do what we do and we did it on defense on offense you know whatever may have been that was that’s what we’re supposed to do you know what I’m saying and I think that’s what you know you saw Tonight

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell spoke to the media following a 109-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls on January 15, 2024 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.