Cleveland Cavaliers Superstar Falling Out Of MVP Conversation

Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell is no longer in the top-10 of NBA.com's MVP ladder.

Dec 16, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) brings the ball up court against the Brooklyn Nets during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Donovan Mitchell has been one of the key reasons the Cleveland Cavaliers currently have the NBA's best record and are legitimate contenders to win the Finals this season.

He's the best player on arguably the best team in the NBA. However, Mitchell isn't quite getting the respect he deserves and is completely falling out of the NBA's MVP conversation.

In NBA.com's most recent Kia MVP Ladder update, they bumped Mitchell completely out of the top 10 and have listed it in their next five section.

Mitchell was ranked eighth in the update before this one, and he's hovered around the seven-to-nine range all season long. The three players who jumped Mitchell are Tyler Herro, Trae Young, and Victor Wembanyama.

Dec 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots a three point basket as Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (5) sits on the court and watches during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

While it's disappointing that Mitchell's contributions are not getting the respect they deserve, he's still putting together a phenomenal season leading to winning basketball.

This is something not every player on the list can say is the case for their team. It's clear that this committee values individual success rather than the total value a player brings to helping their team win games.

Mitchell is averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while shooting 45 percent from the floor and a career-high 40 percent from behind the arc.

There are still a lot of games to be played in the regular season and a lot of time for the narrative to change the narrative and prove to the national media that he deserves to be back in the MVP conversation.