Donovan Mitchell has been on a scoring mission. Through the first week of the 2025-26 NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers' dynamic guard is averaging 31.3 points in over 33 minutes a night in a four-game sample size with a .564/.355/.788 slash line.
While his free-throw percentage should be much better, Mitchell's relentlessness is on display.
The six-time All-Star has attempted fewer than 80 field goals and ranks fourth in the league in shots made (44), tied with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and San Antonio Spurs do-it-all big man Victor Wembanyama.
What's stood out so far is Mitchell's dedication to getting downhill. In his last game against the Detroit Pistons, Mitchell was an astounding 10 of 10 from inside 12 feet; nine were self-created. He utilized his patented power-dribble cradle move, weaving from right to left like a charm, getting to his floaters and finger rolls.
“He's amazing,” Evan Mobley told ClutchPoints among a small group of reporters Monday in Detroit. “He's had 30 the past few games, and how he did it today, I think, is very, very efficient. He got to his spots and made it easy on him, and eventually, they're going to start collapsing on him, and that's going to make it easier for us. So I think continuing to play like that, it's just going to be beneficial for us.”
On the first day of training camp, Mitchell said that he focused on off-the-dribble shooting over the summer: “A lot of times you're taking bumps, taking contact, getting to the rim, which is great, but sometimes I'm just knocking down a simple three, knocking down a mid-range even when you're tired in different scenarios.”
Shrinking the playing field to two-point field-goal makes, Mitchell is tied with New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson for fifth (33). The difference between them is that Brunson has taken 10 more attempts.
The Cavs' effective field goal percentage is 8.2% higher when he's on the floor; it's a much smaller sample size, obviously, but his impact hasn't been that significant since 2021-22 in Utah. And with Mitchell off the court, Cleveland is 17.0 points per 100 possessions worse, per Cleaning The Glass.
Donovan Mitchell is still underrated, says Cavs HC
Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson doesn't believe Mitchell gets enough appreciation for what he does: “I think he's underrated. First Team All-NBA. I don't know why people don't talk about him more. Probably because there's no controversy. Low-key, humble. Does that equal you get underrated because of the personality? I don't know.”
“I think I always talk about my playmaking. I don’t feel like that gets enough credit,” Mitchell said on Media Day a month ago. “Making the right reads, making the right plays, and it may not always lead to assists. I think when we think of playmaking, we think of creating shots for each individual. Sometimes, it’s just simply throwing the ball from a pass ahead, or if there’s help at the nail, then passing across. Putting guys in a position to attack a closeout by using my gravity to create movement and shots for everybody.”
If there's an area Mitchell needs to be better in, it's the self-inflicted wounds. According to Basketball Reference, 10 of his 16 turnovers have come from bad passes. Even with a high usage, there's no excuse for mental errors at his experience level.
Mitchell would be the first to own up to it, though, and that's what makes a true leader.
“Don's not afraid to get on himself,” Sam Merrill said after Cleveland's home-opening win on Sunday. “He's always like, ‘And I got to do this and I got to do this.' And sometimes I'm like, ‘Dude, it's okay. You're the guy. You can just yell at us every once in a while.'”
Maybe Atkinson's right. A guy who puts everybody else before himself doesn't generate the buzz that the most dramatic league in professional sports requires.
Mitchell is his own most prominent critic, and that likely won't change. However, on Day 1 of camp, he admitted that he's learned to give himself grace. He's not going to be perfect, but as long as he continues to put the time and the work in, the results will come with it.
“Do I want to win MVP? Do I want to be First Team? Do I want to do all these things? For sure. But that comes with team success,” Mitchell said. “So as long as the team’s succeeding, everything else will follow.
“You always have individual awards, but one thing I've learned over my time is they don't just come, and we're fighting to get into the playoffs. As long as we continue to do our business and do what we need to do and play at the level I've always played at, everything else will come to fruition.”
