Donovan Mitchell’s all-around excellence has been so apparent this season that some are questioning where he should rank amongst the league’s best players. The eighth-year guard has yet to take over the playoffs as legendary postseason performers like LeBron James and Stephen Curry have so often done, but Mitchell and his Cleveland Cavaliers’ early dominance has already hurled his name in MVP and All-NBA conversations along with his more seasoned peers.
Advertisement
Lou Williams recognized Mitchell’s superior production this season over other perennial All-Stars. The three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner made it clear on FanDuel’s NBA show, Run It Back, that he believes that the only reason the Cavaliers guard might fall behind some of these legends in the race for individual accolades is because of their shining reputation.
“Top players… it’s tough for me because we have legacy guys. We’re automatically gonna add a Bron, we’re automatically gonna add Steph in the books and these guys. Donovan Mitchell is outplaying a lot of these guys, but because they’re legacy guys, and their reputations, and the bodies of work they put in, we automatically put these guys in the conversation,” Williams said.
“But there’s not too many point guards or guards out there playing better basketball than Donovan Mitchell right now,” he added.
NBA legends like LeBron and Steph Curry have legacies that place them high on player rankings
“Donovan Mitchell is outplaying a lot of these guys.” – Lou Williams
https://t.co/pi36O7Ghqi@MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/fMmLwd1Yj3
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 2, 2024
Mitchell already has five All-Star appearances and an All-NBA nomination under his belt, so it’s not that D-Mitch is a complete novice compared to his superstar peers. But Williams believes that the lack of any significant achievements in the last year or two may hurt the 28-year-old.
“He’s doing his thing right now, so I don’t wanna put a number on it, he’s definitely gonna be an All-Star this year, gonna be All-First or All-Second Team NBA, and he’s gonna be right there in the mix with the rest of the top guys,” LouWill added.
The Spida’s 24.6 points per game are a decrease from his first two seasons in Cleveland, but consistently winning has a tendency to make superstars shine brighter during the long NBA season. The Cavs are currently sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 18-3 record and everything seems to be going in their favor right now.
Mitchell could lead Cleveland to their first NBA Finals after LeBron James
It’s still quite early in the NBA’s grueling 82-game schedule, but Cleveland’s early returns on running it back with the same roster have been more positive than anyone could have expected. While the team’s current standing and franchise-best 15-0 start to the campaign are impressive in their own right, underlying statistics show this Cavs team is far from a fluke.
Under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, Mitchell and the Cavs have become a juggernaut on both sides of the ball. This rings true especially for the team’s offense. Averaging 122 points per game, the Cavaliers are shooting teams off the court while also locking down the opposition. Even the team’s 112.1 defensive rating is a modest improvement over last season, emphasizing the locked-in mentality that the roster has shown so far.
As of now, there’s no reason to believe that Cleveland’s supremacy over the Eastern Conference won’t continue. If Mitchell is able to reach the heights that Lou Williams predicts for him, he may be able to lead the Cavaliers to their first ever NBA Finals appearance without LeBron James.
With a ferocious defense backing him up, they could even win it all.
