CLEVELAND (USA) - Donovan Mitchell is undoubtedly worthy of NBA MVP consideration this season. His franchise, the Cleveland Cavaliers, is dominating the Eastern Conference, and for the second time already this season, it has completed a series of fifteen wins in a row. The streak is still alive.
In the past, he has posted more impressive stats. His first season in Cleveland (2022-23) was statistically stronger: 28.3 points per game on 48.4 percent shooting, along with 4.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 36 minutes.
This season, he's spending five minutes less on the court, which impacts his scoring (24.2 points per game). But make no mistake - his influence on the team has never been greater.
More importantly, this isn’t just about him, individual stats, or accolades. The Cavs want to win. They aim to be where their Eastern Conference rivals, the Boston Celtics, are—at the top of the NBA. And Mitchell is their leader.
And it's very possible that the All-Star learned a great deal about the qualities needed to lead a team to the top during a difficult experience six years ago.
Flashback: the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China. USA, coached by the legendary Gregg Popovich, saw its dream of a three-peat world title crumble in the quarter-finals against France.
Donovan Mitchell's then-Utah Jazz teammate, Rudy Gobert, may have had the best game of his career for France - posting 21 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks—as Les Bleus came out on top (79-89), crushing Team USA’s ambitions.
Mitchell had nothing to regret from that game. He was spectacular, scoring 29 points (while no other teammate scored more than 10), along with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He was by far the best player on a roster filled with NBA All-Stars. Through the rest of the tournament, he kept his head high in adversity and took away valuable lessons on what it takes to win and lead.
Becoming a leader is also one thing I've worked on
"Coming into this, I didn't know what to expect, and I just tried to do what I knew how," he said. "I tried to improve in certain areas. I knew what to expect from coach Pop, especially defensively. Becoming a leader is also one thing I've worked on. I also loved building relationships with guys throughout the league and seeing how they approach big games, especially those who keep coming with a positive mindset even after we lose."
"For me, this is an amazing experience. Everybody wants to look at the end goal, but when you sit back and think about it, 'I played for Team USA.' I think that in itself is amazing, so yes it was definitely worth it. I'm blessed to have done this."
Most observers saw USA’s defeat in 2019, but Mitchell’s performance and attitude did not go unnoticed back then.
He was more vocal on the court than I’ve ever seen him be
"Donovan Mitchell grew as a leader during the FIBA World Cup", wrote Taylor Griffin in September 2019 for SB Nation. "He was more vocal on the court than I’ve ever seen him be. He was mentioned several times from Team USA executives as being a captain on the squad, and it showed when they played on the court."
"When a team found themselves on the ropes against France early on, they looked to Donovan Mitchell to keep them in it, and he did just that. In what looked like a game that Mitchell could break the all-time single-game scoring record for Team USA, things went in a different direction in the final quarter. Despite this, it was incredible to watch Mitchell do Mitchell things on the floor for the whole world to see. Watching him go bonkers in the third quarter is something that I’ll always remember. There’s not a lot of things that can get me hyped at 5:00 in the morning, but this was one of them."
France’s head coach in 2019, Vincent Collet, who led his team to victory over Mitchell, is now a special adviser for the Cavs. Meanwhile, Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson was Collet’s assistant last summer at the Olympic basketball tournament in Paris.
"I took some ideas from Vincent (Collet) from our training sessions at Paris 2024. Not everything, but a few technical aspects that I use with the Cavs", Atkinson revealed exclusively to Olympics.com during the NBA All-Star break. "It’s not just tactical plays but also concepts, like my fast break strategy. Vincent and I discussed how to push the ball forward quickly in transition, taking inspiration from soccer."
Will this brainpower, experience, and the tactics forged in the fire of FIBA competitions be enough for Mitchell and Cleveland to find success in the upcoming 2025 NBA Playoffs?
We’ll find out soon.
FIBA