Donovan Mitchell came into the season with slim but real odds to win the Most Valuable Player award. Just days into the season, however, that dream is already dead, buried and it's time to hold the funeral.
Zoom in on Mitchell, and you see a player having a season worthy of the MVP discussion. He is averaging 33 points per game, shooting 42.1 percent on a robust 9.5 3-point attempts per game, and his 2.5 steals per game tie a nice bow on the two-way narrative. Playing for a team expected to be at the top of the Eastern Conference, he should be right on track in the MVP discussion.
The truth is something completely different. Not a single national reporter or media outlet is saying anything about Mitchell. Inside the NBA is on ESPN, not TNT, and they're not talking about Mitchell. The NBA is now on Amazon and they aren't talking about Mitchell. NBA on NBC has Michael Jordan clips to sprinkle in all season, but they aren't talking about Mitchell. The countless podcasts, television shows and YouTube channels are talking about the amazing start to the NBA season -- and they are doing so without mentioning Donovan Mitchell.
Donovan Mitchell is not winning MVP
Why is that? It's because Mitchell's competition has been truly resplendent and demands to be discussed. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, has a pair of double-overtime victories on national television; in the second, he dropped a cool 55 points.
Nikola Jokic dropped a triple double in his first game of the season. Luka Doncic is averaging 46 points, 11.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists as he carries the Los Angeles Lakers, the most high-wattage team in the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo has the Milwaukee Bucks at 2-0 behind averaging 34 points and 17 rebounds on hyper-efficient percentages. Old head Stephen Curry has already played three games and put up exactly 100 total points; his scoring barrage to beat the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night was appointment television.
And of course, the newcomer to the scene: Victor Wembanyama. ESPN wisely put him front and center on Wednesday night and he delivered in his season debut, single-handedly eviscerating the Dallas Mavericks. He scored 40 points on 15-for-21 shooting with 15 rebounds, three blocks and some incredible highlight plays. He looked physically dominant in a way the league hasn't seen since prime LeBron James or perhaps even back to Shaquille O'Neal.
In his second game, Wembanyama merely put up 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocks. To do this as a 21-year-old is historic. He is the league's best defensive player and one of its best on offense; addin that he is the new thing on the block and he is suddenly right at the top of the MVP favorites leaderboard.
Mitchell has been an excellent scorer for the Cavaliers, especially as they are short-handed to start the year. Can he compete with the stat lines of Doncic and SGA and Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama? No, he most certainly cannot.
Last season he snuck onto the MVP ballot in the fifth slot. That is probably the ceiling for Mitchell with the excellence around him. He'll be an All-Star, he will make All-NBA (provided he stays healthy) and he will have to be mentioned in the MVP discussion. Does he have any dream of winning the award?
No, he does not. We are in an age of legends in the NBA, and the dominance of the league's current superstars is majestic to behold. And it's put the MVP trophy out of the reach of Donovan Mitchell.