Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell received two votes as the best player in the NBA in a recent player poll conducted by The Athletic during All-Star weekend. The votes came from Mitchell himself and his teammate Jaylon Tyson, highlighting a lighthearted moment amid Mitchell's strong season. Despite the small sample size, the poll underscores Mitchell's impact on his team.
The Athletic conducted its latest NBA player poll over All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, polling more than 30 players on various topics. For the specific question, 'Who is the best player in the NBA?', 18 players were surveyed. Nikola Jokic received the most votes with six, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with three. Donovan Mitchell and Luka Doncic each tied for third with two votes.
Mitchell's votes were self-cast and from Cavaliers teammate Jaylon Tyson, who participated in the Rising Stars challenge. When asked about his vote, Mitchell told The Athletic's Joe Vardon, "Come on, Joe, I gotta say me, always." This admission adds a humorous note to the results, as the article notes potential bias in the small pool of respondents.
Despite the poll's limitations, Mitchell is performing exceptionally in his career-best season, averaging 29 points and 5.9 assists per game. He has been instrumental in guiding the Cavaliers past a challenging start, positioning them as Eastern Conference contenders. Mitchell is also adapting well alongside his new backcourt partner, James Harden.
The poll positions Mitchell as the top vote-getter in the Eastern Conference and the leading American player. Other survey questions addressed topics like the best player podcast and the league's biggest problems. Full anonymous results are available from The Athletic.