Stephen A. Smith skeptical of Cavs outside of Donovan Mitchell: ‘The rest of the crew, I’m questioning’

Virtually everything has gone right for the Cleveland Cavaliers so far this season, with the team perfect through 13 games as it builds a nice lead atop the Eastern Conference standings.

As expected, star guard Donovan Mitchell has been a key part of the team’s success, and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith isn’t surprised by that. But when it comes to the rest of the crew, he isn’t completely sold that the early success will last.

Smith shared his thoughts during a conversation with ESPN colleague Shams Charania.

“The question is, can they sustain what we’re seeing from them?” Smith asked. “Can they be the collective bunch that they’ve been thus far, Shams? I’m wonderin’ about that. I have no questions about Donovan Mitchell. I just don’t question him. The rest of the crew, I’m questionin’.

“I’m not sayin’ they can’t play. They can play. They can ball. I got mad respect for Cleveland, and right now, they look like the biggest threat to the Boston Celtics, but I gotta see more. Come to me 60-plus games into the season, and I’ll give you a better answer to that question.”

What’s interesting about Smith’s evaluation is that the Cavs have used a pretty balanced attack to assemble their 13-0 start to the season. It hasn’t all been Mitchell, and some would even argue that the 28-year-old hasn’t been Cleveland’s best player this season.

That’s no knock on the five-time All-Star, who’s still playing fantastic, winning basketball, but it goes to show that new head coach Kenny Atkinson has found a way to build a winning formula without relying too heavily on any particular player.

Mitchell is averaging fewer minutes and shots per game this season than he did last season, and as a result, his scoring is also down. But his efficiency is up from last season, and that’s likely no coincidence.

Meanwhile, players like Darius Garland (who some would say has been Cleveland’s best player) and Evan Mobley (who’s showing major signs of growth under Atkinson) have stepped up. The Cavs now have three players averaging at least 17.8 points per game and nobody averaging more than 23.6, a true indication that their scoring has been balanced.

If Smith really does have questions about Mitchell’s supporting cast, then Garland, Mobley, Jarrett Allen and others will look to silence those concerns.

Garland has been one of the most efficient guards in the NBA this season. He’s averaging 20.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 53.4 percent from the field and 44.9 percent from deep.

Mobley, for his part, is averaging a career-high 17.8 points per game and has been more aggressive this season. He also remains one of the best defenders in the league.

Allen, meanwhile, remains an extremely valuable defender in his own right and is averaging a double-double once again this season at 13.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

The job isn’t finished for the Cavs, but they’re doing everything they can to put the league on notice in the early portion of the 2024-25 season.