It took them longer than expected, but it looks like the Cleveland Cavaliers are finally taking flight. Kenny Atkinson's team is one of the hottest in pro basketball right now.
They largely pulled that off while Evan Mobley was out with an injury. They have look even better since adding James Harden to the team too. Then again, this is still Donovan Mitchell's team, and he's finally getting some praise for it.
While he still has plenty of heavy lifting to do and may not have enough time to get to the top, Mitchell got some love in ESPN's latest MVP straw poll. The Cavaliers star has jumped to the seventh spot in the rankings.
Donovan Mitchell rightfully cracks the top-10 in ESPN's MVP straw poll
As things stand now, Mitchell trails only superstars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Cade Cunningham, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, and Jaylen Brown, respectively. He's ahead of Kawhi Leonard, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey and Anthony Edwards.
Mitchell is averaging a career high in points per game. His scoring efficiency has been tremendous overall. Plus, the Cavaliers guard is leading the league in 3-pointers made on average. The other parts of his game fill out nicely alongside his dominant scoring too. Mitchell has done well as a playmaker when asked and has hovered in the top-10 for steals per game too.
He's playing the best basketball of his career, taking the reins of the offense in the midst of Darius Garland's injury. His chemistry with Harden has been seamless, and the two have put on show after show in their games played together so far.
The Cavs may not be able to keep up with the red-hot Detroit Pistons in the race for the No. 1 spot in the East, but the second seed is still pretty much on the table. A strong finish and the top vote-getters losing some games might shift the balance in his favor in the final stretch of the season.
Even so, Mitchell isn't in it for the individual glory. He knows what's at stake this time around, with all the buzz about his postseason shortcomings and the Cavaliers' championship window now being shorter because of Garland's departure.
He's laser-focused on getting the job done when it matters the most, and all the outside noise about LeBron James' homecoming or his impending contract extension can wait until the offseason. It's go-time.