Donovan Mitchell provides self-aware assessment of his standing in the NBA

Donovan Mitchell has spent the past two summers dealing with questions surrounding his long-term future. The All-Star guard had remained tight-lipped on whether he intended to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, after agreeing to a three-year, $150 million contract extension earlier this summer, Mitchell will likely enter the new season with a renewed focus. 

The Cavaliers will also have a new head coach, having hired Kenny Atkinson at the start of the offseason. Atkinson will likely bring an attacking mentality to the Cavaliers as he attempts to develop the team into a genuine contender. For Mitchell, the more postseason success he can have, the better, as he bids to prove himself as a top-10 or top-15 talent in the NBA.

"Realistically, I look at myself as one of the top 10, top 15 players in this league, but I haven't made it to a conference finals," Mitchell said during a recent appearance on the "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast. "So in order for me to make that jump, I can sit here and get mad and use it as fuel, but I can't get mad 'cause it's an accolades-based world we live in. Whether it's right, wrong or indifferent, for whatever reason, it's just what it is."