The Cleveland Cavaliers made a franchise-altering move during the 2022 NBA offseason when they completed a blockbuster trade for star guard Donovan Mitchell.
The return on investment has been great so far, and Mitchell is having a career year with the Cavs. In fact, former NBA superstar Kevin Garnett recently went as far as to say that Mitchell is the NBA’s most underrated superstar.
He added that he believes Mitchell should be in the MVP race as the 2022-23 regular season comes to its dramatic end.
“Donovan Mitchell is the most underrated superstar in the league,” he said. “… At some point, we gotta put Donovan Mitchell in the MVP conversation, bro. … Fourth quarter, man, nobody takes tougher shots than that kid. Man, that kids a — and he hits big shots. Go back and watch him in Utah, man. What he doing in Cleveland is like some 2.0 s—.”
Garnett is definitely not the type of person to offer praise lightly, so it’s clear that Mitchell has really impressed the one-time MVP.
Mitchell has been doing it all for the Cavs this season, putting up a career-high 27.6 points per game to go along with 4.1 boards and 4.7 assists per contest. Most importantly, he has the Cavs well positioned to nab home-court advantage in the first round of the upcoming playoffs.
Right now, the Cavs have a comfortable three-game lead over the New York Knicks for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs are 6-4 over their last 10 games and looking ready for a successful playoff run.
Mitchell sat out Cleveland’s game on Tuesday, but the team was able to win easily against the Charlotte Hornets.
Up next, the Cavs have a big game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. That game will definitely have a playoff feel, as the Sixers are just one spot ahead of the Cavs in the conference standings.
When it comes to Mitchell’s superstar status, that is surely going to be proven in the playoffs. If the four-time All-Star can lead the Cavs to a deep playoff run, there is little doubt that his reputation will take yet another step forward.
