The 2022–23 NBA season was cut short for the Cleveland Cavaliers after the team couldn’t contend with the New York Knicks in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Despite the disappointing end of the season with an early playoff exit that was not expected, the Cavaliers do have a lot to look forward to, with Donovan Mitchell being the new face of the franchise moving forward.
Mitchell’s poor play during the postseason definitely attributed to the team’s early exit, but he no doubt provided a lot of excitement in Cleveland while showing that the Cavaliers may not be far from contending in the Eastern Conference once again.
While Mitchell can only watch the NBA Finals from here on out like the rest of us, the perennial All-Star recently let it be known who he views as the top-five defenders in the league, which turned out to be six players via Tidal League.
Donovan Mitchell lists his top 5 defenders in the #nba @Jrue_Holiday11 @luthebeast
OG Anunoby@Bam1of1 @smart_MS3 /@Money23Green“Run Your Race” with @tpinsonn featuring @spidadmitchell pic.twitter.com/OkjV4nHYL3
— Tidal League (@TidalLeague) June 4, 2023
Although Mitchell definitely hit on some key names that would be on many people’s lists for being the best defenders in the game, a few players were noticeably absent.
Three players come to mind right away, and one of them he spent a lot of time playing alongside with the Utah Jazz, as he failed to mention, likely on purpose, three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, who now suits up for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The other two were Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokoumpo, both widely considered to be in the elite category of NBA defenders.
NEXT: Travis Kelce Details What The Cavs Need To Do Moving Forward
