Donovan Mitchell breaks down his and Cavaliers' hot start in 2025-26

The Cleveland Cavaliers, despite a heartbreaking last-second overtime loss to the Miami Heat on Monday night, are one of the best teams in the NBA to start the young 2025-26 season.

They're ranked eighth and 12th, respectively, in offensive and defensive efficiency according to the NBA's advanced stats, and superstar Donovan Mitchell is off to one of the best starts of his illustrious basketball career.

The "Spida" is averaging 30.4 points per game, on incredibly efficient shooting, drilling shots from the floor at a 51% clip and 40.4% from three-point range. But what has been different in Cleveland this year to mark such a stark uptick in productive play?

Donovan Mitchell breaks down his and the Cavs' early success in 2025-26

In an exclusive interview with D.J. Siddiqi of videogamer.com, Mitchell opened up on his hot start to the season.

"I think a lot of this is allowing the game to come to me, I’m playing 34-to-36 minutes a night, which is more than I played last year. So naturally my numbers are going to be higher. I think for me, just working on taking shots off the dribble, kind of playmaking, and not necessarily always being in a hurry," Mitchell told Siddiqi.

"I always talk about the best part of my game is to be efficient. Just trying to find ways to be even more efficient. You’re seeing the result of that right now. The biggest thing is just maintaining that. Continuing to be that guy not just seven games, but also throughout the whole season."

The Cavaliers have championship aspirations in 2025-26, especially given the current status of the weakened Eastern Conference.

In years past, they've been unable to make it out of the second round of the playoffs, knocked out by the eventual conference champions in the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers.

But this season, both teams are missing their superstars due to Achilles injuries, and the East is ripe for the taking for Mitchell and company.

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