Cleveland Cavaliers: Top 30 all-time greatest players
By Ben Beecken
SF. . Mike Mitchell. 27. player. 156. <ul> <li>4 seasons with Cavaliers (1978-81)</li> <li>Averaged 19.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game</li> <li>1x All-Star with Cavs</li> </ul>
The Cleveland Cavaliers went six straight seasons without reaching postseason play from 1978 to 1984. Mike Mitchell was on the first four of those squads.
Even still, Mitchell made a quick impact and was named to the All-Star team in the 1980-81 campaign, his third in the NBA.
After averaging 10.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a rookie, Mitchell put up 23.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest over the next two seasons, including his All-Star season, before being shipped to San Antonio just prior to Christmas in 1981. (Fun fact: Mitchell played in a league-leading 84 regular season games that season due to when the trade took place.)
Despite averaging 19.8 points per game over a 10-year career, Mitchell was never named to another All-Star game. But his efficient scoring (49.5 percent from the field with the Cavs) and big numbers over three-and-a-half years in a Cavaliers uniform was enough to get him on to this list.