The Cleveland Cavaliers had the second-best record in the NBA last season.
They also had the best record in the Eastern Conference, and it wasn’t particularly close.
Nevertheless, they still didn’t have a top-three MVP candidate.
A lot of that clearly has to do with the small market, but it also feels like the narrative around the team is that they don’t have a clear-cut superstar right now.
Even so, FanDuel currently has Donovan Mitchell as a top-ten candidate for the upcoming season.
As pointed out by Bleacher Report, he’s currently No. 10 with +7500 odds.
As things stand now, OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is leading the race to defend his MVP crown with +200 odds.
He’s followed by Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, Paolo Banchero, and Kevin Durant.
It’s not a shot at Mitchell to say that he’s not a top-10 player in the game.
If anything, that might be one of the biggest knocks on this team.
Evan Mobley is the team’s best, most talented, and most important player, even though he’s not the leading scorer.
Of course, we’ve seen what Mitchell is capable of when his shot is falling, although it seems like he hasn’t been fully healthy and has kind of lost his quick first step over the past couple of years.
It will take a lot for Mitchell to earn some serious MVP consideration, but leading the Eastern Conference in wins will certainly be a solid starting point.
NEXT: Insider Reveals Cavs' Projected Lineup For Next Season
