Donovan Mitchell was omitted from the CBS Sports Top 5 East player rankings, coming in at No.8. Surprisingly, though, he understands why he wasn’t considered. The five-time NBA All-Star opened up about his snub on a podcast this week. He also talked about where he sees himself in the league and how he can take his game to another level this season.
Donovan Mitchell Reacts to Omission From Top 5 Players in the East
Top 5 East Ballot Snubs 5x All-Star Donovan Mitchell
CBS Sports’ Top 5 East list of the best players in the conference going into the new season kept Donovan Mitchell out of the top five. He engaged in an almost hour-long sit-down with Carmelo Anthony on Carmelo’s 7PM in Brooklyn podcast this week. Mitchell spoke in length about various subjects, such as his college days, being left off Team USA, and being left out of the top five that CBS acknowledged regarding Eastern Conference players.
He expressed confidence in himself as one of the NBA’s top players, saying,
“Realistically, I look at myself as one of the top 10, top 15 players in this league.” He went on to speak on why he didn’t make the list. He alluded to the fact that he has never played in a Conference Finals. However, he seems to be in an understandable state of mind with his ranking omission, admitting, “So, in order for me to make that jump, I can’t sit here and get mad. I can sit here and get mad and use it as fuel, but I can’t get mad at this list cause it’s an accolade-based world we live in. Whether it’s right, wrong, or indifferent. It’s just what it is,“
Mitchell knows exactly what he needs to do. The more success you have in the playoffs, the more potential to elevate your name. So, when it comes to lists, rankings, and the hierarchy element of the sport, your personal recognition elevates the more you accomplish as a team.
Mitchell’s Lack of Playoff Success
At least Mitchell isn’t delusional about his own career because many athletes are. It is true that in Utah, Mitchell and Rudy Gobert failed to create deep playoff runs. In five seasons with the Jazz, they were bounced in the first or second round each postseason. Despite leading the Jazz to some great regular seasons, it never translated further for Mitchell or Gobert.
Unfortunately, that disappointment has lingered into his tenure in Cleveland so far. In year one with the Cavaliers, they lost in the first round; last season, they fell in the semis. For whatever reason, Mitchell has not found a way to propel his team.
Not for Lack of Skill or Talent
When Mitchell describes himself as a top 10-15 player in the league, as he does in his conversation with Carmelo, his pure skill and talent back him. Mitchell is one of the highest-skilled players in the NBA. Mitchell’s elite finishing paired with his three-point shooting (career 36.6%) has kept his teams in countless games in Utah and Cleveland. He can take over a game and dominate, usually by driving to the rim or shooting midrange shots.
Based on his basketball ancillaries alone, Mitchell is an elite player. However, as with CBS’s list, stats and accolades don’t always intertwine. And when Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown are your contemporaries, it might be hard-pressed to have your name elevated over those names.
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