Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell Ranked Third Best In East by NBA.com; Evan Mobley Seventh

Donovan Mitchell just keeps showing up on these lists, and for good reason. NBA.com released its top 10 players in the Eastern Conference this week, and Mitchell came in at No. 3, trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jalen Brunson.

Evan Mobley, fresh off a Defensive Player of the Year award and his first All-NBA nod, wasn’t far behind, checking in at No. 7.

Mitchell Still the Man

Let’s be honest, Cleveland goes as far as Mitchell takes it. While his scoring dipped last season (24.0 ppg), that was by design. And he made up for it by doing just about everything else. He rebounds, facilitates, and still takes over in the clutch. The league took notice. That First Team All-NBA selection wasn’t a fluke.

He may not be Giannis. He may not be the media darling that Brunson has become in New York. But Mitchell at No. 3? You won’t hear many Cavs fans complain.

He’s also the best leader I’ve ever seen in a Cleveland locker room since I started covering the team in 2007. And it’s not even close. He always takes the blame, lifts his teammates and rarely talks about himself.

Mobley Climbs the Ladder

Mobley isn’t the flashiest player in the league, and frankly, he’s not trying to be. But if you’re paying attention, you’ve seen the leap.

He has proven he can cover just about anyone, anywhere. Guards, wings, centers — bring it on. He protects the basket with the best of ’em.

Offensively, his perimeter shot is considerably more reliable, expanding his game under coach Kenny Atkinson. I personally loved how Mobley started to grab defensive rebounds and then bring the ball up the floor himself, a la Draymond Green. Mobley should only get better at that, too.

Bottom Line

This is the duo the Cavs are building around. Mitchell is already there. Mobley isn’t far behind. And if Cleveland is serious about contending, it’s going to be on the backs of these two to lead the charge.

No disrespect to the rest of the list — Embiid, Banchero, Cunningham, whoever — but the Cavs have two in the top seven. That’s a foundation most teams would kill for.

Now they just have to make it count.

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