thelesterlee
Thanks to the NBA installing a new rule this season, creating a strict 65-game minimum in order to qualify for end-of-season awards, Cleveland Cavaliers star, Donovan Mitchell no longer has the opportunity to make an All-NBA team.
Here is the list of top guys, like Donovan, who also won’t be able to take home a trophy because of circumstances outside of their control:
- Joel Embiid
- Julius Randle
- Kyrie Irving
- Jimmy Butler
- Jamal Murray
- Kristaps Porzingis
- Jamal Murray
Karl-Anthony Towns, Trae Young and Tyrese Haliburton are dangerously close to joining this list next.
I don’t necessarily want to talk about the unintended consequences of this new rule, but I will say, someone is going to sneak onto an All-NBA team who 1000% should not be there and an NBA franchise will be forced to pay that overachiever an exorbitant contract he does not deserve, thus destroying their cap space and sending their team to purgatory.
Next season will be the final year of Donovan Mitchell’s contract.
Last offseason, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers against his will but the combination of his control over the offense, Darius Garland’s shooting and pick-and-roll navigation, Evan Mobley’s All-Defense caliber play and Jarrett Allen’s rebounding and rim-running, the Cavs finished 4th in the Eastern Conference,—their first postseason appearance since LeBron James left.
And then the New York Knicks took their wallets and phones in the first round winning a 4-1 series where the Cavs looked like they stayed out after the street lights came on and they were terrified their moms were going to come drag them out of the arena by their collars.
At one point this season, the Cavs went on an 8-game winning streak immediately followed by a 9-game winning streak. As I write this, they currently sit at the 3rd seed in the East, one game behind the Milwaukee Bucks. Most of these wins came with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley out with injuries.
What does this mean for Donovan Mitchell’s future in Cleveland?
So Donovan Mitchell’s first season ended with an embarrassing first-round gentleman’s sweep and in his second season, his team rattled off a bunch of wins against terrible teams without ever playing a long stretch of games with a fully healthy lineup before going into the playoffs where they will most likely be eliminated in a random NBA TV broadcast airing at 9am.
Going into the summer with an expiring contract knowing he essentially wasted two seasons of his career in Ohio—this award intelligibility could be the last straw before he demands a trade. At 27 years old, Mitchell is in the midst of his prime and he may begin taking the reigns of his legacy and how the game of basketball will remember him. Another meaningless season in Cleveland will not solidify Mitchell’s name in NBA history.
Cavs fans, enjoy the best team you’ve had since the Trump administration. This man is 1000% going to be running the pick and roll with Victor Wembanyama next season after Jalen Brunson eliminates him from the playoffs for the third straight season.
Is this the catalyst for a Donovan Mitchell trade? Leave a comment below. Respond on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Or shoot me an email at Deadseriousmailbag@gmail.com. Let’s chat, bay-beeeee. Let me know if you think Donovan Mitchell deserves NBA awards.
