It was definitely going to be a challenge for the Cleveland Cavaliers to repeat last regular season’s blistering run.

The Cavs got off to a 15-0 start and rode this early momentum to an East-best 64-18 record. They ultimately fell short in the second round of the playoffs to the Indiana Pacers, but while skeptics questioned whether their 64-win campaign was repeatable, most still expected Cleveland to remain near the top for as long as its “Big Four” stayed intact.

Unfortunately, that caveat proved to be an ominous warning of what was to come. 

Two of the Cavs’ four All-Stars—Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland—have missed significant time with injuries. Evan Mobley was expected to fill the void left by them and make the leap to superstardom, yet his per-game numbers are largely unchanged and his advanced metrics have taken a noticeable dip.

Despite all of this, Cleveland remains in the thick of the East playoff race with a 15-11 record. Donovan Mitchell is carrying the Cavs with everything that he can muster, putting up a career-high 31.3 points per game on an equally impressive 50.5% field goal shooting percentage. The 29-year-old guard is also averaging 4.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game as he continues to prove that he belongs in the conversation as one of the best players in the league today.

Mitchell has taken his game up by another notch further this December, averaging 36.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and a steal in six games–highlighted by a 48-point showing in their latest win over the Washington Wizards. Cleveland continues to struggle to find their footing though, equally splitting these six contests.

While the Cavs’ start is a far cry from last year’s, things could have been far worse. Despite their early troubles, they remain within striking distance of the current leaders, the 20-5 Detroit Pistons and the 17-7 New York Knicks. All it should take for them to catapult up the standings is an extended winning streak. The East is as open as it has been for several years now with the last two Eastern Conference champions, the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers, hampered by injuries to their best players.

Cleveland can still very well turn things around, especially once Allen and Garland are closer to 100%. If they can pull this off and finish with a top three seed in the East, Mitchell should rocket up the MVP race in recognition of his early season form that has kept them in the hunt.

In the meantime, all that the Cavs can do is ride Mitchell’s hot streak. His scoring prowess  gives them a chance to win on every single night and this situation gives their role players a chance to step into the spotlight in support of him. They can still avenge last season’s premature playoff exit. For the time being, the Cavs will continue to go only as far as Donovan Mitchell can take them.