No one can deny that the Cleveland Cavaliers are having a wonderful NBA season.
Additionally, no one can deny that Donovan Mitchell is a major part of the team’s success this year.
There are many ways to judge just how well Mitchell is doing but Carter Rodriguez pointed out a major one.
“Historically, his teams have only performed a little bit better (or in some cases, worse!) with him on the floor,” Rodriguez said on Twitter.
He then pointed out that Mitchell has an on/off differential of +15 in 2023-24.
Last season, that number was +2.1 and the biggest number of his career before this was +8.5 when he was still with the Utah Jazz.
There's a billion Donovan stats that are cool, but nothing proves growth as a player quite like his on/off differentials.
Historically, his teams have only performed a little bit better (or in some cases, worse!) with him on the floor.
Not this year. +15.0, 98th percentile pic.twitter.com/0yW72qt0YS
— Carter Rodriguez (@Carter_Shade) February 21, 2024
On a team full of great players who are doing some of the best work of their careers, Mitchell might be the best.
So far this season, the 27-year-old guard is posting 28.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.3 assists.
The plus/minus analytic is hard to gauge for many but it is basically a way to see the sort of influence someone has when on the floor.
It’s very clear that when Mitchell is playing, the Cavaliers do better.
They might be finding success through his shooting, his assists, his leadership, or maybe something being contributed by other players.
Regardless, Mitchell obviously makes an impact on the team’s success.
This is his second season with the Cavaliers and there are many questions about what’s ahead for Mitchell.
There are a bunch of rumors suggesting that he might depart the Cavaliers this summer if a better offer comes along.
This graphic confirms that if he does think about heading to another team, he will have a lot of value.
Leave a Reply