Inside Donovan Mitchell’s Case To Be on Cavs Mount Rushmore

There have been plenty of stars to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. It all began with the likes John Johnson, Bingo Smith, Austin Carr, Lenny Wilkens, etc. Mike Mitchell was drafted and not too long after, Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, and Larry Nance all left their mark on the franchise.

After a nearly decade-long struggle to make any serious noise, LeBron James was drafted in 2003. His second tenure with the team saw the team win their first NBA championship. Flanked by Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, the squad was able to defeat the greatest regular roster ever put together. The 73-9 Golden State Warriors fell at the hands of Cleveland.

And then, you have September 1, 2022. Donovan Mitchell was acquired via trade from the Utah Jazz. And for the past four seasons, he has made waves and history while playing here. Let’s talk about why he has a real case to be on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore.

The Talent Is Impossible to Deny

As seen above, there is a rich history of greatness in Cleveland Cavaliers lore. There are a few arguments to be made in favor of Donovan Mitchell though. #45 is the only player in franchise history to score 71 points in a game. January 2, 2023 against the Chicago Bulls was absolutely a night for the ages.

He ranks second with 25 games of at least 40 points. There have been four occurrences of 40+ points in a playoff game for Mitchell, including the second 50-burger by a Cavalier in the postseason, doing it against the Orlando Magic.

Three selections on the All-NBA teams, with two on the second-team and one on the first-team also bode well for Mitchell. With career averages in CLE so far of 27-5-5 on 47% shooting, he has been able to absolutely do it all. Some nights, he looks like a top five player in the association. Few can stop the signature move through the lane.

His Ranks In Cavs History

Donovan Mitchell is doing some great work on the Cavs all-time leaderboards. Second in points per game with 26.9, behind only LeBron James. Fifth in steals, and second in Player Efficiency Rating. The seventh highest offensive rating (higher than Mark Price and Brad Daugherty). Fifth in win shares per 48 minutes.

Mitchell has had to take on the onus as leader of a franchise whose existence and success was tied primarily to one man for 20 years, even though seven of those campaigns didn’t even feature him. LeBron has been at the center of all the Cavs success since entering the league in 2003. Only the Price-Daugherty-Larry Nance era also saw playoff success.

He’s certainly had a strong supporting cast, but Mitchell has been a successful leader. He hasre-affirmed his desire to stay (and win) in Cleveland at every turn. This is the kind of guy a city and team can rally behind. The Conference Finals berth now ties him with the team’s OG trio for most appearances. Considering that, he can absolutely be considered.

If given a vote, this author’s Mount Rushmore would have LeBron James, Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, and Mitchell himself. Winners. Ballers. The epitome of Cleveland hoops.

The Debate Rages On

For everybody who believes that Mitchell can be on the Cavs Mount Rushmore, there will be just as many people who think otherwise. It’s a fun debate to have. There is no truthful wrong answer, but it’s absolutely important to continue to give Spida his flowers.

Now that his wedding has happened, the full focus is back on basketball. October can’t get here soon enough. And the Mount Rushmore chats go on.

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