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Cavs' Donovan Mitchell, Akron native LeBron James win NBA player of the month awards
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- Cavs' Donovan Mitchell, Akron native LeBron James win NBA player of the month awards
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have won the most recent Western Conference and Eastern Conference Player of the Month awards, causing daydreams of Akron native James meeting his hometown Cavs in the NBA Finals in June.
Crazy, you say?
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Former Browns cornerback Joe Haden doesn't think it's far-fetched. A basketball enthusiast, Haden tweeted he would be "at every game" of a Finals pitting the James -led Lakers against the Mitchell -led Cavs.
The Cavs (50-10) have the best record in the NBA and are riding a 10-game winning streak entering Tuesday night's matchup at the Chicago Bulls .
The Lakers (38-21) are second in the West, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-11) after winning six games in a row and heading into a Tuesday night showdown with the New Orleans Pelicans .
And the Lakers are 6-2 with guard Luka Doncic in the lineup following his shocking trade from the Dallas Mavericks .
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 10: LeBron James #23 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers react at the end of the fourth quarter of a game against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on February 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 132-113. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Cavaliers won their lone NBA title in 2016 with James leading the franchise, so a Cavs-Lakers Finals is certainly fascinating to ponder. The league wouldn't mind the ratings, either.
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Of course, the greatest obstacles for the Cavs and Lakers, at least on paper, are the defending champion Boston Celtics (43-18) in the East and the powerhouse Thunder in the West.
Still, there's no doubt the Cavs and Lakers are sizzling hot this winter.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 25: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers wait for a free throw during the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on November 25, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
In February, six-time All-Star Mitchell averaged a team-high 25.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 30.5 minutes as the Cavs went an NBA-best 10-1.
James averaged 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 35.2 minutes as the Lakers went 10-2 in February. For those who may have forgotten, 21-time All-Star James is playing at this level at the age of 40.
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Mar 2, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (1) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Cleveland Cavs All-Star forward Evan Mobley wins Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month
Cavs All-Star forward Evan Mobley was named the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for games played in February, the league announced Tuesday.
In the inaugural season of this monthly award, Mobley is the first NBA player to receive this honor twice for the Eastern Conference. He also won it for games in December 2024.
The double dip only strengthens Mobley's case for his first NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. He finished third in the voting for the 2022-23 season.
Feb 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) drives to the basket against Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
In February, Mobley helped the Cavs rank first in defensive rating (108), first in lowest field-goal percentage allowed (42.9%), second in lowest 3-point percentage allowed (32.3%) and fourth in fewest points surrendered a game (108.2) in the East.
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Mobley played in all 11 Cavs games in February, averaging a double-double with 20.4 points on 56.6% shooting from the field and 10.1 rebounds, along with 3.8 assists and 2.3 blocked shots in 29.7 minutes.
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Mobley, 23, was also a nominee for the Eastern Conference Player of the Month award won by Mitchell, 28.
Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara was named the Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: LeBron James, Cavs' Donovan Mitchell win NBA player of month awards
