Where Cavaliers Superstar Stands In Latest MVP Ranking

Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell gains ground in MVP race.

Oct 16, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) warms up before a preseason game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to play like one of the best teams in the NBA, and Donovan Mitchell is leading the charge for the Wine and Gold.

As long as Cleveland continues to play at this current level, Mitchell should remain in the MVP conversation.

NBA.com's Kia MVP Ladder currently lists Mitchell at number eight in the MVP race. That ranking (updated on November 29) puts him one position ahead of where he was in the previous hierarchy, but there's a strong argument that he could still be higher up on that list.

Victor Wembanyama, Kevin Durant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Nikola Jokic are the players ahead of Mitchell.

The player that Spida jumped from the previous MVP list was Stephen Curry.

Oct 26, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles the ball against Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) during the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Ironically, Mitchell's spot on the list improves following his toughest shooting week of the season. Cleveland lost back-to-back games against the Atlanta Hawks, and the Cavaliers shooting guard only scored 12 points in the second game.

Mitchell admitted that he must find ways to impact his team after that loss, even when his shot isn't falling. This mindset and ability to impact that game in a variety of ways is exactly what MVPs do.

The Cavaliers then scored a massive win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday night, and Mitchell was at the center of that. He scored 35 points, 20 of which came in the fourth quarter while erasing a double-digit lead for the Celtics.

Admittedly, Mitchell probably doesn't have the scoring numbers to be in the top three in the MVP race. Davis, Tatum, and Jokic all average more than 28 points a game, while Mitchell only averages 24 points a night.

However, a few more 30-plus point games for Mitchell could easily bring that season average up, and then he'd have a compelling argument for a top-five spot in the MVP race, if not higher.