Donovan Mitchell

One victory shy of becoming just the NBA's sixth-ever team to begin a season 14-0, the Cleveland Cavaliers, within an eye’s blink, had left supporters — and skeptics alike — wondering how they would handle the pressure of becoming the league's “hunted.” Allow Donovan Mitchell to explain it, and the answer proved quite simple on November 15, 2024: with ball control, creativity, and a confidence that few have ever shown. In need of a trademark “Cav-a-lanche” with his Central Division foes keeping pace, Mitchell pumps his brakes expertly, first utilizing a spinning pick-and-roll rejection before taking Patrick Williams through a whirlwind with a shammgod pullback handle. Only in need of a perfectly-accurate bucket to officially capture his one-for-the-ages highlight, Mitchell buries a crowd-rocking 3-pointer, maintaining a late-game stretch in which he scored 11 straight for Cleveland. Buoyed by Mitchell’s distinctive brilliance, Cleveland’s regular-season perfection held steady in NBA Cup play during a 144-point demonstration against the Chicago Bulls on November 15, 2024. Mitchell, individually, paved the way through 37 points (including 18 in the fourth), alongside seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, two blocks, and seven 3-pointers.