Donovan Mitchell disrespected by Team USA in 2024 Paris Olympics roster reveal

In a new report revealing the 2024 Paris Olympics Men's Basketball Team USA roster, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar Donovan Mitchell was left behind as numerous All-Star peers joined the 11-man roster.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Team USA is finalizing a roster headlined by LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Joel Embiid. James' teammate Anthony Davis also joins the team alongside Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Tyrese Haliburton and Bam Adebayo. While the names mentioned have earned their spot on the team, Mitchell's years of continued excellence should have elevated him above others who were selected.

Back in January, both Mitchell and Jarrett Allen were added to the national team's player pool as finalists. Donovan Mitchell, despite five All-Star appearances and a recent All-NBA selection, has yet to represent the States in the Olympic Games. Last season, Mitchell's All-NBA campaign included a career-high 28.3 points per game alongside 4.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and a top-four playoff berth in his first year with the Cavaliers.

Before injuries disqualified Mitchell from regular season awards, he had put together an MVP-caliber season, making his absence a head-scratching decision at best.

When asked about interest in competing for Team USA, Mitchell was determined to join the coveted list of Olympic competitors. "That's the goal... It means the world to play for Team USA." In 2019, Mitchell competed for the USA World Cup team, finishing seventh overall after losing to France and Serbia. Mitchell viewed a run in the Olympics as a chance to redeem himself, noting his only memory is losing in the FIBA World Cup "I would love to find a way to bounce back and get the gold."

Team USA snubbing Donovan Mitchell in the best season of his career is a mistake

Team USA is on a redemption tour after failing to bring home gold in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Mitchell is one of the greatest guards in the NBA, with freak athleticism and dynamic abilities on both ends of the court.

Again, all names named to Team USA have demonstrated basketball greatness this season, but Mitchell also has undoubtedly had a better season than either player this year. He also has a greater list of continued dominance since entering the Association than either of his counterparts.

Since his rookie season in the 2017-18 year, Mitchell has led his team to postseason play each and every time. The star guard's worst scoring season still eclipsed 20 points per game, and he has never averaged fewer than 3.7 assists per contest. This season, he has evolved his playmaking to a career-high 6.1 assists per game while also averaging the fourth-most steals per game in the NBA (1.8).

In January, Mitchell also earned Cleveland's first Player of the Month accolade since LeBron James for leading the Cavaliers to a scorching 11-2 record through the month. Mitchell averaged 28.6 points, 2.1 steals and 7.6 assists as the team's leading point guard. Mitchell has not only continued his career as an unstoppable scoring threat, but he has established himself as an intelligent, selfless passer and tough defender.

While Holiday still holds a reputation as a greater defender than Mitchell, the Cavs star has recorded the best Defensive Box Plus/Minus of his career at 1.2, which is .1 points higher than Holiday. Offensively, Mitchell's high-flying moves and sharpshooting from deep provides a much greater gravity on the court.

Regardless of Mitchell's disrespectful snub from Team USA basketball, the Cleveland Cavaliers will rally behind their star as they ready themselves for the coming first-round series against the Orlando Magic. While the Cavaliers are favored to win the series, they will still need all hands on deck to prepare for a young and hungry defensive-minded Magic squad.

Cleveland will host the first to games of the series after clinching the four seed in the Eastern Conference. Game One will take place on Saturday, April 20, though the time has yet to be announced. The Cavaliers split their regular-season series with the Magic 2-2, suggesting the Cleveland faithful will be treated to a thrilling opening round to the team's second consecutive playoff appearance since Mitchelll's arrival in the Land.