Donovan Mitchell has been one of the NBA’s brightest stars this season, averaging 28 PPG and leading the Cavs to their best season since Lebron James left for greener pastures out west. However, the Cavs recently announced that Mitchell will miss his 18th game of the season vs. the Suns, his sixth straight missed game after sustaining a bone bruise in his left knee. This officially means that he will not meet the 65 games played cutoff to be considered for All-NBA.
Donovan Mitchell Ineligible for All-NBA After Missing 18th Game
Donovan Mitchell Joins Other Stars
Mitchell is not the only star ineligible for MVP and All-NBA consideration. Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Julius Randle, and Jamal Murray are all also guaranteed to miss the 65 games played cutoff to be considered. Several other stars are close to missing out as well. Trae Young and Tyrese Haliburton will join the list if they misses five more games. Additionally, Devin Booker will join the list if he misses four more games.
With all of these top-tier stars no longer in consideration for All-NBA, there may be some surprising All-NBA selections. For example, Paul George has only been selected for All-NBA in one of the last five years. However, he has been having a great year and more importantly, has been healthy enough to meet the 65 game cutoff, which could launch him into an All-NBA spot. Another potentially surprising player who could make All-NBA is Jaylen Brown, who has the narrative against him after last year’s playoffs and effectively being demoted to 3rd option on the Celtics behind Tatum and Porzingis. However, Brown is an ironman who plays 75+ games every year and will most likely make it this year due to that.
One surprising player who has met the 65 games played cutoff is Kawhi Leonard. He has not met the 65 games played cutoff for the last few years, seemingly perpetually dealing with injuries. Against all odds, Leonard has stayed healthy and productive and will most likely make All-NBA this season.
Cavs Playoff Chances
The Cavs currently sit in 3rd place in the East, 4 games ahead of the 4th place New York Knicks. Even with Mitchell out, they still have a formidable team with the likes of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and one-time Heat playoff hero Max Strus. However, they cannot afford for Mitchell to be out when the playoffs roll around.
While the team can function in Mitchell’s absence, he is the engine that has powered them to this 41-24 season, their best since the King left for LA. Mitchell’s production has been impressive, averaging 28.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 6.2 APG. His efficiency hasn’t been amazing at 55.5 eFG%, however it has improved over his career average of 52.6 eFG%. As a result, this has been a net positive year for Mitchell where efficiency is concerned. The Cavs can’t replace this kind of production, especially past the trade deadline. Barring a miracle from Garland, Mobley, and Strus, Cleveland is sunk if Mitchell isn’t available for the playoffs.
Luckily, the Cavs don’t expect Mitchell to miss further significant time. There is a lot of speculation from Cavs beat reporters and fans that he will return in the next 3 games on the Cavs’ upcoming road trip. With Mitchell back in the lineup, the Cavs are serious title contenders. They may even finally bring another championship to Cleveland, which is good since the Browns and Guardians certainly won’t be hanging any banners soon.
The Last Word
Mitchell missing All-NBA brings up an interesting question surrounding the newly instituted 65 game cutoff for All-NBA and MVP. Namely, is it good that an arbitrary cutoff determines who is eligible for career-defining awards? On one hand, it probably isn’t. Theoretically, voters already took games played into consideration before the NBA created the cutoff. On the other hand, these are the same voters who saw fit to make Deandre Jordan of all players a first-team All-NBA selection. So, maybe there should be some guardrails on their voting.
Furthermore, durability has long been an underrated quality in the NBA. As the famous saying goes: “Availability is the best ability.” You could be the best player in the world, but if you’re out injured and not affecting the game, what’s all that talent really worth? Furthermore, although people may not like to admit it, the NBA is ultimately an entertainment business. People shell out huge amounts of cash for good seats so they can see the stars play. Any rule incentivizing those stars to play is probably good for the fan experience.
While the debate over the cutoff is far from settled. What is settled is that Donovan Mitchell will not be making an All-NBA team this year.
