With historic feats set by the Cleveland Cavaliers seemingly every week, their star core is receiving due praise across the NBA landscape.
Though small market franchises are often undervalued by national media, Cleveland's basketball club is seeing serious praise over recent weeks with NBA hall of famers and analysts alike announcing their belief that the Cavaliers are serious Finals contenders. After two disappointing postseason runs, it is no surprise the NBA world would be slow to see Cleveland as real threats. The hesitation was expected and reasonable.
Now, though, the Cavaliers not only are running away with the best record in the Eastern Conference, but many of those who fill their ranks could finish the season with individual award honors. Evan Mobley is taking over the Defensive Player of the Year race, and coach Kenny Atkinson is nearly a sure thing for Coach of the Year. The NBA awards show is the Cavs' to lose, outside of one award that Donovan Mitchell believes should be up for debate.
Donovan Mitchell believes he is an MVP candidate but won't win it
Per Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Cleveland's six-time All-Star guard holds the belief that his 2024-25 campaign deserves credit in the MVP race. He is the top scorer and best player on the NBA's best team out east. With the record of best team across the league constantly shifting between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cavs, an MVP-caliber talent on both squads wouldn't be shocking.
Instead, though, Mitchell is absent from MVP debates. His OKC counterpart, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is the leading candidate to dethrone Nikola Jokic as the league MVP this season. Mitchell has undeniably turned up his play this season, committing himself to the defensive end and doing whatever is necessary to help his team win.
That willingness to win is what will stop him from winning.
As Vardon highlights, Mitchell's counting stats are all down this season - points, assists, rebounds and minutes. It is rare that an MVP technically has a worse year when they win. Diving into Mitchell's per-36 numbers reveals another story. He is averaging more points than last year while averaging comparative numbers in assists and rebounds.
His efficiency has taken a slight hit, as well, shooting a 54.4 effective field goal percentage (eFG%). Mitchell has stepped behind the three-point line for roughly half of his attempts, shooting the fewest two-point attempts of his career.
This has not happened because Mitchell cannot handle heavy minutes or cannot drive to the paint anymore. Instead, he is fully bought into Atkinson's system. This winning mentality is killing Mitchell's chances, although the Cavs' historically great season should earn him some respect.
As Atkinson said, the best player on the best team is an argument for Mitchell. But, the Cavaliers are fresh off the heels of a 12-point victory over former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in a game in which Mitchell shot horribly from the floor. While Atkinson realizes that this is only possible due to the depth of the roster and the gravity Mitchell's presence brings, awards voters will ignore Mitchell.
Perhaps that mindset is correct. The Cavaliers almost certainly have the most valuable star core in the NBA. With three All-Stars this season and the overly selfless Jarrett Allen completing a quartet of star talent, there's simply not enough opportunities for Mitchell to assert himself as an MVP frontrunner. Every Cavalier has been asked to sacrifice for the team's greater good, and Mitchell knows it.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will have plenty to celebrate with individual awards already. Proving his true leadership, Mitchell prioritized team success over himself while speaking to Vardon. As he explained, he doesn't have any trophies that mean anything yet, including the Finals trophy. Winning takes priority over personal achievements. Maybe that statement is what Mitchell knows he should say, but his actions speak louder as the Cavs sit alone at the top of the standings.