Donovan Mitchell has been everything the Cleveland Cavaliers hoped he would be when they traded for him last summer. He still has to prove himself on both ends of the court in the playoffs, and the deal will ultimately be judged on how high the Cavs soar over the next few years and whether Mitchell leaves, but at this point in time he has been incredible.
Mitchell is averaging 27.4 points per game this season, with 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals to go with. He ranks 11th in the NBA in Dunks & Threes’ Estimated Wins, just ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he is ninth in VORP. If he’s not the best shooting guard in basketball, he’s no worse than second. He’s been the best offensive player on the team with the best net rating in the NBA.
Will the Cleveland Cavaliers have an All-NBA guard this season?
The MVP ballot is almost certainly out of his grasp, and he doesn’t fit any of the other singular awards out there. The one major award that is very much in play for Mitchell, however, is All-NBA. While Mitchell has made four All-Star teams he has never been named to an All-NBA team before, but this season could be the year.
Will Mitchell make an All-NBA team? At one point in the season it would have felt like a lock, but the competition is fierce and Mitchell hasn’t done anything lately to seize the narrative. Let’s look at his competition and then place odds on how likely Mitchell is to land his first All-NBA selection this season.