For the first time since the 2017-18 season, LeBron James‘ last one with them, the Cleveland Cavaliers are fully relevant.
They not only have a young and ascendent core that includes Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, but they are led by a player in Donovan Mitchell who is, at worst, a borderline superstar.
But on any given night, he can rise to become the best player on the floor.
That was the case last Monday when he scored 71 points on 22-of-34 shooting overall and 7-of-15 from 3-point range in an overtime win over the Chicago Bulls.
On that night, he was the best player in the world, especially considering he also tallied 11 assists and eight rebounds while coming up big in crunch time.
It all earned him the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award, and it reinforced the fact that the Cavs are must-see TV.
NBA Players of the Week for Week 12.
West: LeBron James (@Lakers)
East: Donovan Mitchell (@cavs) pic.twitter.com/Exu59mx1nH— NBA (@NBA) January 9, 2023
Mitchell is always prone to have a volcano-type game, as he has had a few already this season.
Including that 71-point outburst, he has had four games of at least 40 points, his first coming on Oct. 28 when he dropped 41 points on 15-of-25 from the field in a win over the Boston Celtics, the team that currently holds the best record in the NBA.
On the season, Mitchell is averaging 28.8 points a game on 48.8 percent overall shooting, 40.5 percent from downtown and 87.4 percent from the free throw line, all of which are career highs.
Granted, the Cavs have some work to do, especially when it comes to winning on the road and greatly increasing their offensive bench production.
But right now, they have the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference, and the biggest reason is that Mitchell has become a one-man show.
NEXT: Would It Make Sense For LeBron James To Return To The Cavs?