Former NBA Star Shockingly Flips Opinion on Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell

A former NBA star has decided to change his opinion on Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Matthew Schmidt | Mar 14, 2025

Mar 7, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts after scoring to end the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images / Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

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Former NBA guard Brandon Jennings has been awfully critical of Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell in the past. He has previously questioned if Mitchell is a legitimate No. 1 option, and earlier this season, he threw some shade at the six-time All-Star on social media.

However, Jennings now appears to be walking back his criticism of Mitchell—and the Cavaliers as a whole—just a bit.

During a recent episode of the Gil's Arena podcast, Jennings decided to finally give Mitchell his flowers and also gave some credit to Cleveland, stating that it's time to start respecting the Cavs.

"What’d I say, Donovan Mitchell wasn’t a No. 1 option a championship team, and he’s proving it," Jennings said. "The team is well put together. Darius Garland, he’s playing crazy. Donovan Mitchell, he might not be having the numbers like a MVP, but his leadership and the way he got his team behind him, I mean, they’re for real.”

Mitchell probably won't win an MVP award this season, but there is very little doubt that he has been the best player on the team with the NBA's best record, averaging 24.2 points, 4.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds over 31.3 minutes per game on 45.1/38.4/81.9 shooting splits.

From a scoring efficiency perspective, this has actually been Mitchell's worst year with the Cavaliers, but that's the beauty of it: Cleveland has been wildly successful in spite of that thanks to improved play from its other stars and incredible depth.

Of course, Mitchell and the Cavs will still need to prove it in the playoffs, but it's hard not to be impressed with what they have been able to accomplish during the regular season.

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