Jan 20, 2026
3 min read
, Ohio - As the Cavs completed the jumpers' final warm-up before a 2:30 Eastern final against the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, the NBA released starters for the 2026 All-Star Game in Los Angeles.Not among them was Donovan Mitchell, a six-day All-Star and two starters.
Shay Gilgeous-Alexander stood opposite.
"No, I don't want to know," Mitchell said when asked if anyone had told him beforehand.
Mitchell entered the afternoon with a game-high 29 points, seventh best in the league, while carrying one of the league's heaviest offensive loads.His usage, kill impact and late-game responsibilities are popular, even if the season has been slower than last year.
Individually, his resume checks every All-Star box.Overall, the Cavs don't.
When the game opens, it usually doesn't come.No graphics.There are no Humongotron announcements.It's common to acknowledge milestones in real time, but this silence is overwhelming.
"Honestly, I hope so," Mitchell said of his first All-Star rotation."The guys that graduated have a better record than ours. So, naturally, you reward it. Obviously, yeah, I really want to be the starter, but understand, man, at the end of the day, we're winning games, everybody's getting an award. We're not really winning games at the rate we want to. And everything else."that's what comes first."
That outlook reflects how Mitchell has played internally this season.His scoring average is up.His efficiency is at a career high.However, none of that has translated into consistent team dynamics.
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It was dominated on Monday, falling 136-104 to drop to 24-20 and fall back to seventh in the Eastern Conference.Mitchell finished with a team-high 19 points, but came on 18-5-18 shooting and 1-9, a night emblematic of the tension that surrounds this team.With the Cavs struggling to create advantages, Mitchell was asked to create something from scratch.Against an elite defense, that difference quickly disappears.
The All-Star voting reflected that gray area. Mitchell finished sixth in fan voting, sixth among players and sixth with the media.
Now, he awaits the coaches' vote to determine if he makes the All-Star team.
Mitchell did not call the moment impolite.He did it as a matter of fact.
The Cavs have big ambitions.They haven't played as a team that deserves individual acclaim.Mitchell, who has never advanced from the conference semifinals in eight postseason games, has been vocal about that point.Personal recognition, he believes, comes from winning.
If , it remains an unsolved equation.Until that happens, even one of the league's best scorers may be left watching the screen go dark.
