Cleveland, Ohio was the place to be when the regular season ended. The Cavs recorded the 2nd-most wins in franchise history (64). Along with that, they topped the Eastern Conference for the first time since their ring-winning 2016 season. They also signed their core of Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and De’Andre Hunter to contracts that run till 2027. It was exactly what they needed heading into the semis against the #4 Pacers. But what happened next was so unforeseen that it led 76ers legend Charles Barkley to call all the hate from the media ‘deserved’.
Let’s get to the series first. After the Cavs blew Miami Heat out of the water, they believed they would trample the Pacers in the semis with no hesitation. Spida was on fire, with 95 total points in their 4-0 first-round win against the Heat. And to be honest, he did average a ridiculous 34.2 points in 5 games against the Pacers too. But a combination of injuries to key players and lackluster performances led to a 4-1 blowout in front of their home fans.
Tyrese Haliburton and Co. pulled up to the Rocket Arena with a bazooka. They saw the Coach and Defensive Player of the Year in the dugout, and looked for blood. They seemed to nail every shot throughout the series. Yes, there were two unfortunate 20-point comebacks from the Pacers in Games 1 and 2. And that points more towards Cleveland complacency. But that complacency grew massively in Games 4 and 5, where they got railroaded 129-109 and 114-105, the last one being at the Rocket Arena.
Apr 20, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) walks on the court in the first quarter against the Miami Heat at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
This, for Donovan Mitchell, was unacceptable. “I just couldn’t believe it. Didn’t want to believe it. Don’t want to believe it. Still don’t want to believe it,” said Spida after their loss. “I love playing in that f—ing arena. That energy, that crowd. We were 0-3 at home, let the city down. This place is special. This place is really special and we didn’t get it done.”
But it was the comments from the media that really took it over the line for Mitchell. For him, they still have a championship-winning team. And any criticism hereon is just fuel to come back stronger this season. “Getting beat down like this. And y’all are gonna write some s–t about us, man, and that’s gonna be fuel. Like, fuel for everybody. Y’all gonna say a lot of shit. Y’all are, and that’s what it takes. I’ve been here, so I understand. We understand, and now we just got to use it as fuel for next year,” said Mitchell, giving the virtual finger to the media.
Enter Charles Barkley. He’s come, conquered, and left as a legend, albeit without a ring. But he does make an astute observarion – if you can’t do it with this squad, you better deal with the criticism.
Charles Barkley thinks Donovan Mitchell deserves negative spotlight
All the aforementioned reasons are why the Cavs should’ve won it this year. They even went on a franchise-high 16-game winning streak. But fast forward to mid-May, and Ty Jerome and Sam Merrill are also UFAs. Was it due to underestimating the Pacers? Or did they just lack the quality to get it done? Whatever the reason is, Barkley feels like they deserve the scrutiny. And instead of crying about it publicly, they should take it on the chin.
“Hey, when you are the number one seed and you sweep somebody in the first round and you lose all three games at home. You deserve to have bad stuff written about you,” said Barkley on NBA on TNT.
It’s more personal for Barkley than what meets the eye. He didn’t actually play for the Cavs, but he did believe they would make it to the Finals back in March. “The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to the Finals… I told you to book it last week, the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to the NBA Finals,” said Barkley to House of Highlights. So in a way, it’s the 76ers legend’s way of giving stick to himself.
February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Charles Barkley is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
For the Cavs, it’s back to the drawing board. They’ll be kicking themselves more than anyone else is, right now. They still have the Coach of the Year and DPOTY, and recorded a 2nd-highest 64 wins this season. But all this is probably what justify Sir Charles’ claims about them. Do you stand with the legend on this take?
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