Donovan Mitchell was a guest on Carmelo Anthony’s ‘7 PM in Brooklyn’ show. In the interview, Mitchell spoke about his confidence in himself, and how he thinks he is a top 10-15 player in the NBA. Mitchell added that he might not be in the conversations that he should because he hasn’t reached a conference final in his career yet.
“Realistically, I look at myself in the top 10, top 15 players in this league. But I haven’t made it to a conference final. So for me to make that jump, I can’t sit here and get mad. I can sit here and get mad and use it as fuel. It’s an accolade-based world we live in, whether it’s right, wrong, or indifferent. For whatever, reason, that’s just what it is.”
It is good to see that Donovan Mitchell’s belief in himself doesn’t hold him back from understanding why some people would disagree with him. While Mitchell is an excellent player, there are reasonable questions that can be asked about his lack of tangible success in the playoffs.
The closest Mitchell has ever come to a conference final was in 2021, when he and the Jazz were the first seed in the Western Conference, but lost to the LA Clippers in the second round, despite looking like the better team in the early part of the series.
While Mitchell has had a good squad with the Cavaliers, they often run into teams who are better prepared to face them, whether that be the Knicks, or the Celtics, who vanquished them this year. Perhaps the Cavaliers can defy expectations next season, but it would take a monstrous effort from them to do so.
What Is The Cavaliers’ Ceiling With Mitchell?
Many in the NBA were shocked when the news broke that Donovan Mitchell was being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, as he was initially expected to be going to the Knicks. But the move did improve the Cavaliers a lot, and they were finally able to win a playoff series in the post-LeBron James era this past season.
But where do the Cavaliers fit in what is a tough Eastern Conference? They are not near the top tier of teams like the Celtics, Knicks, and 76ers. While the Milwaukee Bucks have better superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the Cavaliers are far better off from a depth standpoint.
The Cavs vanquished the Magic in the playoffs this year, but might not be able to do so next season, as now the young squad has playoff experience, and added some key veterans to the squad that will help them when the time comes. The Cavaliers will likely be in the fourth to sixth seed range, or might even qualify through the play-in.
The Cavaliers, as presently constructed, are not an NBA championship-caliber team. They have some amazing pieces and could land a star through a trade to do so. But as things stand, Mitchell alone cannot lead them to an NBA championship, or a conference final for that matter.
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