Shannon Sharpe holds Donovan Mitchell accountable for failing to reach Conference finals yet again

The Cleveland Cavaliers crushed through the Eastern Conference this season. They won 64 games and had the best record in the East from start to finish.

Then, they only won five games in the playoffs.

Kenny Atkinson's team was no match for the Indiana Pacers, who will be back in the Eastern Conference finals for the second consecutive year. It was a heartbreaking and disappointing end to a once-promising season.

Notably, that's why NFL legend Shannon Sharpe believes it's time people start holding Donovan Mitchell accountable. Talking to Chad Johnson on their 'Nightcap' podcast on Tuesday, Sharpe argued that Mitchell's flashy games and numbers were meaningless if he couldn't get to the next level (2:22):

"At some point in time now, we got to start holding Mitchell accountable. We said he's a superstar, and he has yet to get past the second round. They won what, 64 games this year?

"He had the very same situation in Utah. At what point in time do we say, 'alright Donovan, all these acrobatics and 70 points and 57 points in a playoff game and 50 points in a playoff game, at some point in time, we need to see that progress and you move on to the next round.'"

Mitchell played through an ankle injury in Game 5 and still managed to score 35 points. Then again, he's been in this same situation since he entered the league.

Where do the Cleveland Cavaliers go from here?

The Cavs took a big leap in Kenny Atkinson's first year in charge, but their woes showed up again when it mattered the most.

Once again, this organization might need to have some difficult conversations in the offseason, and while it seemed like their decision to double down on this core four would pay off, the outcome was the same.

They just signed Mitchell to a lofty contract extension, and he's the face of the franchise, so he might be safe. The same cannot be said of Darius Garland, who has struggled with injuries and inconsistency in the past, especially in the playoffs.

The former top-five selection is signed through 2027-28 and has shown glimpses of great potential. Maybe he just needs a change of scenery to be at his best.

Moving a big contract like Garland's (five-year, $197 million as per Spotrac) won't be easy, and his trade value may not be that high at the moment. Still, the Cavs clearly need to tweak things up to get over the hump.