Is Donovan Mitchell playing tonight against the San Antonio Spurs? Latest on Cavaliers superstar's availability (April 4)

Donovan Mitchell has been the Cavaliers' leader, guiding them to the top seed in the Eastern Conference in a dominant campaign. Mitchell spearheaded the effort, earning his sixth All-Star selection this season alongside teammates Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.

However, the 6-foot-3 guard has been dealing with nagging after a groin injury forced him out of a game in March. Mitchell is off the Cavalier's injury list now and is expected to play tonight against the San Antonio Spurs.

Mitchell has been widely considered to be one of the best shooting guards in the NBA throughout his eight years in the league, but this season is arguably his best as the face of a team. Mitchell has been a steady hand for the Cavaliers this season, playing in 69 of the team's 76 games.

He has helped the Cleveland Cavaliers create a five-game lead ahead of second-seeded Boston Celtics.

Mitchell's previous missed games were on March 11 against the Brooklyn Nets and March 14 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Both contests were victories for the Cavaliers even though their superstar did not play because Garland and Mobley had great games.

With six games to go in their regular season, the Cavaliers are trying to pick up speed toward the playoffs, one game from being the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers will look to notch another win on their ledger over Stephon Castle and Co., looking for the season sweep of the Western Conference basement dweller.

A win against the Spurs would be the third straight victory for the Cavaliers, who hope to take advantage of their next three games before three straight tests to end their year.

What would the Cleveland Cavaliers miss if Donovan Mitchell doesn't play against the San Antonio Spurs?

The Spurs have been one of the worst teams in the NBA since Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox were ruled out for the season with injuries, so Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson could decide to rest Mitchell ahead of the postseason. Without him, the Cavaliers lack a scoring punch, making them so dangerous throughout the year.

In their initial game against the San Antonio Spurs on March 27, the Cavaliers won 114-106 at Rocket Arena. Mitchell played a team-high 35 minutes in the game, recording 25 points and a season-high 14 assists.

The game was the second game of the season that Mitchell had 10 or more assists.

Mitchell has been the engine for the Cavaliers' success since he joined the team in 2022, pushing the team towards consistent regular season success. Mitchell's only question marks are in the playoffs, where he has played superbly as an individual but has not progressed beyond the second round.

Mitchell is Cleveland's top scorer, yet his leadership and ability to make the players around him commit to the team are perhaps his biggest strengths. He and the rest of the Cavaliers will need to be at their best if they are to upset the Boston Celtics in a potential Eastern Conference Finals matchup.