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Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers

On Saturday, April 26, Donovan Mitchell helped the Cleveland Cavaliers secure their third straight win over the Miami Heat. Kenny Atkinson’s team is now one win away from securing its spot in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Shortly after that victory, Mitchell turned his attention to another big sporting story in the city. With the 144th pick in the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected Shedeur Sanders, ending one of the biggest storylines of this year’s draft cycle. Sanders had previously been projected as a potential first-round pick.

Mitchell is one of Cleveland’s most prominent sports stars. As such, he took it upon himself to send the latest draft pick a four-word message via social media.

“Welcome to the Land,” Mitchell posted on X.

What’s interesting is that both the Cavaliers and Browns are now stocked at the primary ball-handler position. Atkinson has Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Ty Jerome at his disposal. While Kevin Stefanski has rookie quarterbacks Sanders and Dillon Gabriel along with Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

The city of Cleveland will now wait to see whether Sanders can make an impact in the coming years. However, for the time being, all eyes will be on the Cavaliers as they continue to charge toward a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Cavaliers’ Mitchell Praises Miami Heat

The war of words between Garland and Tyler Herro has been an unexpected subplot to Cleveland’s opening-round series against Miami. Both have taken shots at each other for perceived weaknesses on defense. When speaking to the media following Cleveland’s latest win, Donovan Mitchell chose to ignore the noise and praise Miami’s approach.

“I think the biggest thing is we understood of who we were playing,” Donovan Mitchell said. “Understanding that, regardless of if words were exchanged or not, this is a really talented group, really talented organization and really talented head coach…I think, internally, we understand what’s coming and what this group brings. We respect them.”

Mitchell struggled in Saturday’s game against Miami. The All-Star guard scored just 13 points and provided only one assist. He shot 4-of-14 from the field and only got to the line five times. Cleveland will need more from Mitchell in game four, especially if they’re looking to secure a sweep.

Tyler Herro Sends Message to Cavaliers

During his own postgame press conference, Tyler Herro sent a message to the Cavaliers. The former Sixth Man of the Year doesn’t expect his team to get swept in game four. Rather, he believes Miami will use the pressure to fight back in the series.

“We wanted to be here,” Tyler Herro said in his postgame news conference. “…It’s not time to let go of the rope. We’re going to play until the final buzzer…That’s who we are as an organization. We want to compete and we’re not going out 4-0.”

Cleveland is the better team. They’re hungrier, more talented, and play a style of basketball that brings the best out of everyone on their roster. Whether they win in four or five games, the fact is they’re heading into the second round.

The upcoming week will be a good lesson for Sanders, as now he can experience the level of expectations and excitement the city of Cleveland brings to the table as a fan base. And if Atkinson’s team can continue pushing forward, that excitement level could reach fever pitch in the coming months.

Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns for Heavy. He has also written for CelticsBlog, USA Today, Yardbarker and FanSided. Adam has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor