The Cleveland Cavaliers have been a team plagued by injuries on multiple occasions. Whether it’s Evan Mobley, Lonzo Ball, or Darius Garland, Cleveland has been fighting through the pain since day one of the regular season.
The one bright side to the Cavaliers’ recent struggles — or lack thereof — has been the massive production from Donovan Mitchell, who is currently averaging 32.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists across his last three games.
Donovan Mitchell last three games:
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) November 18, 2025
37 PTS, 5 REB, 7 AST
30 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST
31 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST pic.twitter.com/9f3oSchNFF
Mitchell has been the absolute highlight of the Cavs this season and is currently on track to post career highs in points, field-goal percentage, and three-point shooting percentage. Having played point guard for 13 games this season due to Garland’s absence, Mitchell has tapped into a level he’s never quite fully reached before.
Despite averaging 30.9 points per night, Mitchell still ranks fifth in scoring league-wide in what has been a very offense-heavy start to the season. In his 13 appearances, he’s scored 30+ points on eight separate occasions and has already delivered a 46-point performance on 71.4% shooting from the field.
His recent stretch could make Mitchell an underrated candidate to join the early-season MVP conversation. Yes, it’s still extremely early, but Mitchell has never been one to shy away from chasing greatness throughout his career. Last season, he ranked fifth in MVP voting, ninth in Clutch Player of the Year voting, was named an All-Star for the sixth time, and made the All-NBA First Team for the first time.
It goes to show that throughout NBA history, the better a team fares in the standings, the better chance an individual player with elite production has to be recognized. The Cavaliers finished last season with a 64-18 record, giving Mitchell a major boost in his MVP candidacy. As it stands, Cleveland holds a 10-5 record and sits second in the East.
If the Cavs can continue their dominance and remain near the top of the conference, it’s no secret that Mitchell will keep executing down the stretch — and very likely make his way back into the top five of the MVP race.
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