It’s been said that to be the best, you have to beat the best. But isn’t being the best also showing up every day as the best? 

Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers have been doing much of the latter nearly a quarter into the 2024-2025 NBA Season. Mitchell is easily the best player on what is record-wise the best team in the NBA so isn’t he an MVP candidate?

Mitchell’s MVP case is not so much about numbers as it is about how he influences the Cavs on the floor. Sometimes great players don’t need to score a ton of points and finish with gaudy numbers; they simply need to make the right plays at the right time. The roles of floor general and playmaker are shared by Mitchell and Darius Garland and their ability to attack also opens up opportunities for their peers.

Much of this comes because Mitchell always gives 110 percent on offense. He only picks up his dribble once he will go up to attempt a shot. It also helps that the Second Team All-NBA Selection is shooting a career-best 41.1 percent from behind the 3-point line. Moreover, Mitchell moves without the ball well and is a great beneficiary of Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson’s system. 

It’s thus no surprise that the Cavs not only started the season 15-0 (and are currently 17-1), but they also have the best offense in the NBA. Cleveland leads the NBA in points per game (123.4), field goal percentage (52.0), and 3-point shooting percentage (41.5). But can the Cavs sustain this strong start until the end? 

In the past, Cleveland has had some history of coming up short in the postseason, but it’s great to see that they’re building habits to avert that as early as this point in the regular season. Mitchell was averaging 31.7 points (on 51.5/53.3/78.6 shooting splits), 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and a steal against the Boston Celtics in the 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals, but a strained left calf forced him to miss the last two games. 

The Cavs were able to win the one game that Mitchell missed thus far, a 128-114 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. While they do need to learn to win without him, their overall success hinges on Mitchell. The five-time All-Star has grown to become a better leader thanks to experience coupled with a growing appreciation for Cleveland. 

Gaudy individual numbers could dictate this season’s MVP race, but we shouldn’t discount the impact Donovan Mitchell has had in Year Three with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mitchell has still been able to produce within his career averages, but the Cavs are currently having the best start in franchise history with him at the forefront. 

In the end, though, the MVP may not matter to Mitchell, who has bigger goals in mind.