Story by
Cavs star Donovan Mitchell's sacrifice is paying off for the Cleveland Cavaliers | Ulrich
- Story by
- Cavs star Donovan Mitchell's sacrifice is paying off for the Cleveland Cavaliers | Ulrich
CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers have launched the campaign in full force, and several members of their 2024-25 team are worthy of NBA end-of-season awards .
Let's focus on Cleveland's undisputed best player and leader , though.
Advertisement
With the Cavs (61-15) on track to finish the regular season as the top team in the Eastern Conference, Donovan Mitchell is worthy of first-team All-NBA recognition and belongs on the periphery of the Most Valuable Player discussion.
However, Mitchell may not end up being voted first-team All-NBA. He's certainly in the mix but not quite a lock. As for MVP? He definitely won't win it.
Mitchell is a six-time All-Star guard, but he has never been first-team All-NBA. He earned a second-team All-NBA nod in 2022-23, his first season with the Cavs after the Utah Jazz traded him to Cleveland.
The Cavs haven't had a player make first-team All-NBA since Akron native LeBron James in 2017-18. They haven't had a player other than James selected first-team All-NBA since Mark Price in 1992-93.
Advertisement
Mitchell, 28 and in his eighth NBA season, wants to break through. Don't let him tell you otherwise.
Yet, Mitchell has sacrificed individual success and his own statistics for the greater good of the Cavs this season. It has paid off, too. Their magic number — a combination of Cleveland wins and Boston Celtics losses — to clinch the No. 1 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference is now two.
In a matchup televised nationally by ESPN on Wednesday night, Mitchell scored a game-high 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field (3 of 7 on 3-pointers) and compiled six rebounds, five assists, three blocked shots and one steal in 30 minutes, helping the Cavs prevail 124-105 over the New York Knicks (48-28).
The Cavs improved to 3-0 in the series this season, ensuring they would win it. One showdown against the Knicks remains April 11 at Madison Square Garden.
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell celebrates after hitting a first-quarter 3-pointer against the Knicks, April 2, 2025, in Cleveland.
Earlier Wednesday, the NBA announced Mitchell had been named one of 12 finalists for the 2024-25 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.
Advertisement
Although it's far from the top honor on Mitchell's wish list, his status as a finalist is a reflection of how he has elevated the Cavs in ways NBA awards voters won't be able to quantify with metrics.
Fliers have recently emerged in the media workroom at Rocket Arena with QR codes promoting Mitchell as an All-NBA and MVP candidate, Kenny Atkinson as an NBA Coach of the Year option and other Cavs players as contenders for various awards.
Cavs score, recap vs Knicks: Cleveland is now 3-0 against New York and wins season series
The QR code serves as a link to a page on the NBA's website. Mitchell's section points out several statistical notes about him through March 30. For instance, Mitchell is the only NBA player averaging at least 23 points and 32 or fewer minutes. He's one of four players in the league averaging 23-plus points, four-plus assists, four-plus rebounds and one-plus steals with 200-plus 3-pointers made. The others are the Minnesota Timberwolves ' Anthony Edwards , the Celtics' Jayson Tatum and the Golden State Warriors ' Stephen Curry . Mitchell is the only player in the NBA averaging at least 24 points and 2.1 or fewer turnovers.
Advertisement
Mitchell has appeared in 69 games this season, and he's averaging 24 points on 44.3% shooting from the field (36.7% on 3-pointers), 4.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 31.4 minutes. His numbers could be better if his approach were not as strategically selfless as it is. He averaged 28.3 points in his first season with the Cavs and 26.6 last season.
"Statistically, this is a down year, if you want to call it that," Mitchell said. "But this has been the best season as a group for me, and that's really what matters is winning."
Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) and guard Donovan Mitchell (45) wait alongside coach Kenny Atkinson to enter the game against the New York Knicks on April 2, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Among Mitchell's big-picture goals this season was to take a back seat on the court at times. The idea was to foster the development of teammates, especially All-Star forward Evan Mobley and All-Star point guard Darius Garland .
Advertisement
"He's sacrificed everything," Mobley said. "I think he just believed in us, really."
"He just wants me to go be the best version of myself," Garland said, "and I want the same for him as well."
Cavaliers news: How Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson's season with Clippers and Tyronn Lue translates to Cleveland
The results thus far make Mitchell's decision to sign a three-year, $150.3 million contract extension with the Cavs in July look like a brilliant move. The next step is the Cavs parlaying the regular-season success Mitchell has nurtured into a deep playoff run.
Advertisement
"He empowers others subtly, not outwardly," Atkinson said. "Obviously, empowering Evan and getting him more touches and understanding he's got to be a bigger part of this. Darius, too. Darius [was] coming off a tough season, and Donovan understood that. He's got great awareness of where the team is.
"My kind of first impression, great impression, of him was just going through the roster with him and his understanding of everybody on the team. … It was like getting a ChatGPT report on every guy right to the T. It was, like, man, this guy's got a great understanding of each player and not only the on-court stuff but the off-court stuff, and [his insight] gave me a lot of hints on how to coach guys. I can't say enough about his leadership this year."
Utah Jazz assistant coach Johnnie Bryant (left) talks with Suns guard Ricky Rubio (middle) and Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell before a game, Feb. 24, 2020, in Salt Lake City.
To be clear, Mitchell doesn't deserve credit for concocting what he describes as a new role. He revealed the notion was presented to him by Cavs associate head coach Johnnie Bryant by way of Atkinson. Bryant coached Mitchell in Utah, and they're extremely close, so Bryant was a logical messenger. Bryant often cusses Mitchell out, an example of the type of hard coaching Mitchell insists he appreciates, and when Bryant told Mitchell what the Cavs had in mind for him this season, it sounded like a mandate, not a question.
Advertisement
Another significant element of this situation is Atkinson wanted Mitchell to play fewer minutes in the regular season than he had in 2022-23 and 2023-24 with the Cavs. Giving Mitchell his best chance to be healthy for the playoffs became a priority. His minutes have gone from 35.8 and 35.3 in his first two seasons with the Cavs under coach J.B. Bickerstaff to 31.4 with Atkinson in charge.
Still, the bottom line is Mitchell should be commended for embracing the change in how he operates. How many times have you heard about a star player refusing to buy into coaching? It's not the case with Mitchell and Atkinson (or Bryant). Mitchell explained his main mission has shifted from primarily being a scorer to impacting winning. There is a difference, and it has been obvious throughout this season.
The philosophy might not put Mitchell in an ideal position for individual accolades. At this point in his career, though, he's mature enough to care more about the postseason than awards season.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Donovan Mitchell prioritizes Cavs' success over his own achievements
