NBA Awards Race: Will Cavaliers land Donovan Mitchell on All-NBA Team?

Mitchell’s odds to make an All-NBA team

Conservatively, there are 12 deserving All-NBA candidates for just six slots, so even if you are high on the candidacy of Donovan Mitchell it has to be acknowledged that his odds of making a team as not 100 percent. Some voters will decide to reward Jrue Holiday’s defense and team success, or Damian Lillard’s brilliant scoring, or put Paul George as a guard to fit LeBron James or Lauri Markkanen on the forward line.

With that being said, Mitchell is probably more likely than not to make an All-NBA Team. He has a few big things in his favor. First, he was really good early in the season, so many voters will have been thinking of him as an All-NBA player all year. Secondly, he has the marquee moment that most of his competition does not, the 71-point bonanza earlier this season.

The first two teams are probably locked up, which puts Mitchell in competition on the third team. He seems to be the favorite to land there, perhaps with either De’Aaron Fox or Jrue Holiday beside him. It’s far from a sure thing, however, so let’s put his odds at 75 percent that he will make an All-NBA team this season.

With three weeks to go, here is a prediction for the All-NBA guards:

First Team: Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Second Team: Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry

Third Team: Donovan Mitchell, De’Aaron Fox