In the last five sessions, Mitchell has been an All-Star – three with Utah, then two after being traded to Cleveland.

But over those same five seasons, he missed an average of 20 games due to injury.

The Cavs and Atkinson had a plan. They wanted Mitchell to do his best in the playoffs. They wanted him to be as healthy as possible. They also wanted him to “take a step back” in terms of minutes and shots during the regular season.

“It would empower Evan (Mobley) and others,” Atkinson said at a recent news conference.

The big plan

Mitchell has been the perfect team player and leader since joining the Cavs. Although he was hoping to end up in his hometown of New York when Utah put him on the market, he never said anything bad about Cleveland.

When it came time to sign a contract extension, Mitchell added three years to the remaining season on his old contract.

He wanted to stay with the core four, the other three being Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Mobley. Only now did they have a new coach, Atkinson.

Mitchell was already the team’s leader. The contract extension gave him even more influence over team politics.

By “step back,” Atkinson meant he played fewer minutes and took fewer shots per game.

Mitchell is in his eighth professional season. He plays 31.7 minutes, his fewest since his rookie season. His 23.3 points average and 18 shots per game are also his lowest totals since his rookie year.

None of this is an indication of a decline in Mitchell’s game. It’s part of a larger plan to improve others on the team and prepare Mitchell for the playoffs.

Not everyone shops

Atkinson is a basketball lifer. He spent 13 years as a player and coach in Europe. He also played in the old CBA, the forerunner of the current G-League. He was an assistant with the Knicks, Hawks, Clippers and Warriors.

He also spent three and a half seasons as head coach with the Nets. In his senior year, Brooklyn added Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Charles Barkley of ESPN stated, “We bragged about Kenny Atkinson doing a great job in Brooklyn…Then (Durant) and (Irving) came along and threw him off the ship…This guy knows how to coach.”

Barkley suggested that Irving and Durant teamed up in Brooklyn even though Durant was recovering from Achilles tendon surgery. The two stars decided they wanted a different coach and that led to Atkinson’s departure.

Atkinson understands the politics of the NBA and the power of stars.

The players compete against each other. Some do this by comparing contracts. Others with individual awards, such as scoring average, All-Star appearances, MVP votes.

Mitchell signed a maximum contract, so that wasn’t a problem. But fewer minutes, fewer shots? Many players don’t buy it.

What about Michael Jordan?

Jordan wanted it all – NBA titles and scoring titles.

Coach Phil Jackson found a way to make it happen, but it was a challenge. Jordan had the opportunity to create a shot at almost any time, regardless of the defense.

Jordan won 10 scoring titles in his 13 years with the Bulls. The years he missed were his first two seasons. Then in 1994-95 when he played just 13 games.

In the seven full seasons that Jordan played for Jackson, he won a scoring title every year. They also won six championships. They found a way to have both.

Mitchell is not Jordan, but he is an elite shooter. That means he can drive to the edge almost at will. He has an excellent 3-point jumper that is almost impossible to block.

If Mitchell set his mind to winning a scoring title, he could probably do it.

“But a big part of Donovan is his humility,” Atkinson said. “He wants to be part of something bigger than himself.”

The big picture

Mitchell, 28, has reached the playoffs in each of his first seven NBA seasons. But he never made it past the second round.

This has frustrated the Cavs star since his first five years in Utah.

One of the reasons Atkinson was hired was to “unlock Evan Mobley.” Those are the words the Cavs use.

Mitchell could have said, “Wait a minute, I’m the best player on the team and I have the stats to prove it.”

But for the team to move forward, Mobley must also move forward. Mitchell has also worked hard to develop the game of Darius Garland, who is having the best season of his six-year professional career.

Atkinson mentioned that Mitchell will be making picks for Mobley and how he’s looking for Garland and others to deliver passes so they can shoot.

“He’s on his way to maturing (as a player),” Atkinson said. “He’s an excellent communicator, a big voice in the group and on the pitch – but in a good way.”

Meaning what?

“It’s never too high, never too low,” the coach said. “He’s so poised…the embodiment of that.”

The Cavs have the best record in the NBA at 26-4. They make it so that their best player does less – and others do more. That was exactly the plan for the season, but it would never have happened if Mitchell hadn’t agreed to embrace the new vision for his own role.